Ms Orna O'Brien:

I am 16 years old and represent Foróige in lovely west Cork. I thank the committee members for hearing my voice today and the voice of the other young people here calling for serious change in terms of climate action. I am here for every young person who stood out in the cold and rain and marched because they do not just want simple measures such as levies on plastic bags and coffee cups in our country. We want to change the foundation of how we approach life in Ireland, in every community, in every corner of this island. We know that is a huge ask, but as the generation that will invoke change and step away from this fast-paced life we find ourselves in, we are looking to go back to the basics.

"Community" is a word loved by the Irish people. It is at the heart and soul of our culture. We trust our neighbours and friends and value their opinions, which is why we strongly encourage schemes for climate justice led by local leaders who would be in charge of initiatives. We see GAA coaches, Tidy Towns co-ordinators, Foróige volunteers and school principals as our advocates. I am sure all of us can think of a perfect person for this kind of role in our own Iives. Community-led programmes are more effective than outside experts who come in and preach to communities. Change must come from the bottom up as well as the top down.

Living in this country should be accessible for everyone. However, according to World Bank data in 2017, Ireland was the third most expensive country in Europe in which to live. I wonder is this because we cannot seem to run as efficiently as our neighbouring countries? As a country we are behind in our sustainable practices. It is not easy or cheap to live in an as environmentally friendly a way as some people in Ireland may wish to. From having to own a car because there is simply not enough reliable public transport to the fact that we are not self-sufficient in dealing with our own waste or the sheer cost of more sustainable products. Being sustainable should not only be a choice for the wealthy. It is for everyone of all incomes. The legislators of this country have an opportunity to play a greater role in making it easier for consumers to make sustainable choices. Legislators must step in and create national standards over what we consume to better our country's overall performance in the game of global sustainability. Currently we are losing but we believe in having good practices in certain areas and not shaming small efforts at the beginning. "At the beginning" is a key part of that statement because we must all start somewhere. Just because we are behind as a country does not mean we cannot make a comeback.

One great way that Ireland can be a leader in climate action is by investing in creating a circular economy. We know that is a focus of the committee which is why our Foróige group Ecollective defines the circular economy as designing products and materials that can be reused as much as possible. At end of life such goods can be recycled to limit the amount of waste we produce. A case study we looked at on the Ecollective’s Future Proof Living podcast was the fashion industry, which I will take as an example of how we can implement a circular economy. Fast fashion is one of the world's biggest climate crisis contributors. It is cheap, often poorly made clothing that is churned out at great speed, with new trends released every few days. The fashion industry accounts for 20% of all global wastewater and 8% to 10% of all global carbon emissions, which is more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.

Ireland is a small country but a cultural giant. We can use this responsibility to tackle fast fashion. What can we do to tackle this on an individual basis? A perfect reality would be to fall back to the practices of our parents and grandparents in repairing and altering anything we can as opposed to simply getting a replacement. How can we do this? For example the trousers I am wearing today were bought second hand and then tailored to fit me in my local alterations shop. Small efforts like this can create new habits. We must buy carefully, buy second hand and wear our clothes as much as possible.

Nationally, how can we be a country that creates positive change in the fashion industry and help it become a circular industry? We are famous for our quality food because we know exactly where it came from, who prepared it and how it was preserved. The potatoes of a particular brand of crisps can be tracked back to the field they were grown in. Why are there are so many legal requirements for packaging on food but not the same extensive information on clothing labels? All that is legally required to be included on a clothing label is the fibre content. This in no way outlines the full story of where our clothes are made, how and by whom. We can be a leading country in tackling fast fashion by implementing mandatory extensive information on all clothing labels. More information for consumers will help to create the circular economy we need. There could also be new standards for fashion companies to use materials that can be recycled or create less waste.

We can also support home-grown, local, sustainable businesses and therefore support our local communities too. Measures like these would mean a great deal to my generation because where we spend our money as under-18s is the most political action we can take. As Samuel Awe, a guest on our podcast, said, "Every euro that you spend is like casting a vote for the future that you want." We young people want to work with our legislators and communities, and with adults at home and in schools. The work starts now, though, not when we are in our late 20s and 30s. I hope from what I have said today that members have listened and are already manifesting ideas as to how we can work together to make the kind of future we believe in. I thank the members of the committee.