Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

——that it really does not matter; we can continue to pollute but because we now have money we can buy the right to pollute from poorer people. Carbon allowances and credits come from a framework whereby we have three worlds on this globe. A quarter of the world's population does not have electricity. These are poor people who are not contributing to global warming through carbon emissions. Carbon allowances and credits mean that wealthy countries such as ours can continue to pollute. The Minister says we have to protect our industry and we must, but basically he is saying that we can continue to pollute and will buy the share of pollution that would have been produced by poorer people who cannot afford to do it. That is what buying carbon credits is about. It is a form of environmental imperialism.

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