Mr. Jerry McEvilly:

I thank the Chair and the committee for this opportunity to present today. Friends of the Earth strongly supports the recommendations made in the previous statements. My main message is that, at COP 27, the Government should support the development of a new global fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty. My written submission contains further background information. What is this proposed treaty? This type of agreement has been proposed as a mechanism to ensure effectively and equitably that fossil fuels remain in the ground. The three main pillars put forward for such a treaty are to prevent the expansion of fossil fuels by ending all new exploration and production, to manage phasing out of existing production of fossil fuels in line with the Paris Agreement, and to ensure a just transition for communities and countries.

Why is it necessary? The disastrous effects of the climate crisis and the need for immediate government action on fossil fuels have been well addressed, including in two further Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, assessment reports this year, yet governments are going in the wrong direction. Several authorities, including the UN and the International Energy Agency, have concluded that every new fossil fuel development fundamentally undermines the achievement of the Paris Agreement and makes climate disaster all the more likely.

Why now at COP 27? The Paris Agreement itself is evidently fundamental in terms of obliging climate action among states. However, it does not make any reference to the main culprit, fossil fuels. The UN summit is the ideal forum in which to address this and to highlight the need for a treaty to deliver an equitable phasing out. We are now witnessing European states shifting focus and seeking narrowly to define energy security as fossil fuel supply. There is now the very real danger that the energy crisis will result in further long-term dependency on expensive, polluting fossil gas. Certain European states are seeking to expand gas production in Africa and ignoring gas demand reduction measures in Europe itself. However, there is significant momentum behind the development of this treaty. It has already been backed by Vanuatu, Timor Leste, the WHO, thousands of civil society organisations, and experts. Last week, the European Parliament passed a landmark resolution calling on member states to work on developing a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.

On a related but separate note, an existing international agreement, the Energy Charter Treaty, poses fundamental risks of fossil fuel lock-in which have still not been addressed at an EU level. Indeed, both France and the Netherlands have just announced that they will follow Spain, Italy and Poland in exiting the Energy Charter Treaty. We urge Ireland to do likewise.

Why Ireland? In terms of domestic policy, Ireland holds greater historical responsibility for the climate crisis. Ireland has already positioned itself as a first mover in committing to phase out fossil fuels. Last year the Government legislated to prevent new licences for oil and gas exploration in Irish waters. Ireland also has a moratorium on liquefied natural gas and a legislative ban on fracking. Further fossil fuel development is not compatible with our climate Act, and such developments have recently been rejected by the Government's independent consultants as part of the energy security review.

On foreign policy, Ireland became a founding member of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance at COP 26 last year. The first of its kind, this alliance aims to keep fossil fuels in the ground by bringing together countries that have taken steps to end new licensing for fossil fuel exploration and production. We are calling on the Government to use this alliance to build diplomatic support for a treaty and develop a UN resolution on this issue.

The call for the development of a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty draws on lessons from other treaties to manage global threats, such as nuclear weapons. For decades, thanks to the dedication of successive Ministers and officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland has led the way on disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation at UN level. We are calling on the Government to resource the development of a treaty on fossil fuels as an essential element of international peace and security in the same way as it has supported the nuclear non-proliferation agenda.

We also very much welcome that Ireland has elevated climate concerns at the UN Security Council and raised support for the least developed countries and small island developing states. It is this context that the COP and Ireland's final months on the UN Security Council come into focus. Island states like Vanuatu and Timor Leste have already called for this global treaty. One may legitimately ask what support for these states means in reality if it does not involve a focus on preventing the polluting fossil fuels that are driving the loss of their territories.

Phasing out fossil fuels is the test for climate leadership at COP 27. To quote the UN Secretary General:

Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But, the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels.

Investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure is moral and economic madness. Such investments will soon be stranded assets - a blot on the landscape and a blight on investment portfolios. But, it doesn't have to be this way.

To summarise the main recommendations for the Minister which the committee has heard this morning: one, support higher ambition to close the emissions gap at EU level and at COP 27 and submit Ireland's long-term strategy prior to the COP to have a credible voice; two, rapidly scale up climate finance contributions in line with our fair share and make sure the money is reaching the poorest communities; three, support loss and damage as a permanent agenda item, including the establishment of a loss and damage finance facility and commit initial loss and damage finance; and four, support a new global fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.