Tom McEllistrim (Kerry North, Fianna Fail)

Climate change is among the greatest challenges of our time. The debate is no longer about whether climate change is happening; we all know for sure that it is. It is obvious from increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising mean sea levels. It is accepted that most of the warming that has occurred over the past 50 years is very likely to have been caused by human activities. This warming is projected to continue and increase over the course of the 21st century and beyond.

Climate change does not distinguish by nationality, colour or religion, and is a real threat to our way of life. It is no longer something that we hear about on the news from somewhere else. It is affecting our lives directly. We have all become accustomed to seeing the problems associated with various environmental catastrophes on our TV screens and in the media. In many ways people can become desensitised to issues that affect people in countries that seem far away. One reason the tsunami that occurred around Christmas 2004 had a deep effect on people across the world was that the victims included western holiday makers and businesses.

The surge in oil and food prices, particularly in the past year, has caused a wave — if not a tsunami — of concern. This is no longer just about the issue of climate change but also about the economic consequences of our response to it. The developed world, it may be argued, had become complacent about cheap food. That is no longer the case as we grapple with the consequences of the replacement of food crops with energy crops. In the least developed parts of the world, climate change is an issue of deep injustice, as it is the people who have contributed least to creating the problem who are being disproportionately affected by it. The interaction between climate change and poverty is potentially catastrophic as climate change pushes fragile livelihoods over the edge. The effects of unpredictable rainfall, droughts, floods and hurricanes are already being felt across the developing world and the poorest people in these countries are being hit the hardest. In addition, it is they who are most affected by rising food prices.

Tackling poverty means addressing both the causes and the consequences of climate change in an equitable way. It is widely recognised that global temperature increases must be kept within a limit of 2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels in order to prevent the more dangerous effects of climate change. However, for many of the world's poorest people, climate change has already reached danger point. For this reason, the global response to climate change must emphasise support for developing countries in adapting to these changes.

Sustainable Energy Ireland tells us that climate change is already starting to affect Ireland. It refers to the increase in extreme weather events, including floods, storms and droughts, in recent years, and predicts that Ireland's winters will be warmer and wetter. By 2050, the temperature in January will have increased by 1.5° Celsius. Winter conditions in Northern Ireland and the north midlands will be similar to those on the south-west coast today. While milder winters might seem like a good thing, this is not necessarily the case. Rainfall will increase by 11%. SEI also predicts that Ireland's summers will be warmer and drier. By 2050 the average July temperature could increase by 2.5° Celsius. Although this does not sound very threatening, there could be serious implications, such as summer droughts which will cause competition for water supplies. The impact of these changes could include an increase in flooding — particularly in the west — and droughts in summer. Irish farmers will no longer be able to grow potatoes. New agricultural pests and diseases will appear and the possibility of water pollution problems will increase.

Everyone has an important role to play in preventing human-influenced climate change, as everyone contributes to its effects through electricity use, heating and cooling, and transportation. A recent survey showed that most people recognise that climate change is occurring and that steps need to be taken across the board and at every level in society. However, unsurprisingly, people begin to step back from this general standpoint when they are confronted with the likely cost implications of these changes. The considerable growth in the Irish economy over the last decade has undoubtedly put upward pressure on our emissions.

With challenges come opportunities. However, the scale of the challenge facing us means that we must also look beyond the energy sector to achieve the necessary reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Responsibility must be shared by a wide range of actors, including the public sector, which must lead by example. Achieving the targets will also necessitate voluntary changes in behaviour by individual citizens in small ways; for example, by increasing their use of low-energy light bulbs and driving in a more fuel-efficient manner. This is an area in which everyone can and must play a part if we are to be successful in protecting the environment for the next generation.

The Government's National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012 was launched by the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Dick Roche, in April 2007. The strategy sets out, in a detailed and specific way, the comprehensive measures the Government has put in place to enable Ireland to meet its target under the Kyoto Protocol. It addresses measures in all sectors of the economy, including energy, transport, agriculture, the residential sector and businesses, and includes existing measures put in place on foot of the National Climate Change Strategy 2000 and, subsequently, through the National Development Plan 2007-2013, Transport 21, the White Paper on energy and the bioenergy action plan. It also includes a series of additional measures to deliver the overall objective of putting Ireland on a pathway towards a low carbon economy.

The national climate change strategy looks beyond the Kyoto Protocol period and shows that the total contribution of measures adopted by the Government will account for 80% of the effort Ireland will need to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments. The remaining 20% will be made up by Ireland's use of the flexible mechanisms. These flexible mechanisms allow Kyoto Protocol parties to support the development of clean technology in the developing world in return for emissions credits. Some €270 million has been allocated under the National Development Plan 2007-2013 for investment in such projects over the lifetime of the strategy.

The Carbon Fund Bill will provide the necessary legislative underpinning for the National Treasury Management Agency to undertake its role as purchasing agent on behalf of the State. The public sector will be required to measure, report and reduce its emissions. Public sector bodies will have specific targets for emissions reduction and be required to report progress in their annual reports. The Government will publish another climate change strategy for the period to 2020 when Ireland's post-2012 commitments are known.

The strategy sets out, on a sectoral basis, that a combination of existing and additional measures will reduce Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions by over 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in the period 2008-2012. Additional funding for the purposes of this strategy encompasses policies and measures adopted since the last projections were completed for the Government in March 2006.

The strategy brings together the range of actions being taken by the Government to reduce Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions. It provides the necessary co-ordination by the entire Government to meet Ireland's Kyoto Protocol commitments and builds on progress already made since the original national climate change strategy was published in 2000.

Carbon credits arise under the flexible mechanisms, which are an integral part of the Kyoto Protocol since the environmental benefit of a given emission reduction is the same irrespective of where on the planet it is achieved. The protocol, therefore, allows countries to determine the most cost-effective balance between domestic reductions and investing in reductions elsewhere. There will be further reductions, not included in these calculations, as a result of measures such as the rebalancing of motor tax and VRT in favour of low-emission vehicles. There are also a number of key additional measures over and above those already in place when the review of the first national climate change strategy was published in 2006. With regard to energy, for example, 15% of electricity is to be generated from renewable sources by 2010 and 33% by 2020. Biomass is set to contribute up to 30% of energy input at peat stations by 2015, there will be support for combined heat and power projects and a national ocean energy strategy.

Our education system has played an important part in preparing our younger generation for the task ahead. As a former secondary teacher, I believe educators are in a unique position to play a leadership role in reducing emissions by encouraging young people to take what they have learned about climate change home with them. By nurturing activities that can help reduce climate change, we can all make a difference.

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