John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

At the request of the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, I recently met the committee to brief it on final preparations for the 15th conference of the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the fifth meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol, which will take place in Copenhagen from 7 to 18 December. The Copenhagen conference is rightly one of the most widely anticipated peace-time world events. I am pleased to have the opportunity to make this statement in the House.

Ireland fully supports the EU's leadership role in the international climate change process under the UN convention. The position of the EU and Ireland is based on the global scientific consensus on the potential impact of climate change. The advice of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, reflects that consensus. It emphasises the enormity of the threat we face and the urgency of a comprehensive and effective global response. EU policy on what constitutes a comprehensive and effective global response to climate change is reflected in the substantial body of conclusions that the Council has adopted over a number of years, most recently at its meeting last month. They set out a clear and strong EU mandate for the Copenhagen conference based on the fundamental objective of keeping the increase in average global temperature to within 2° Celsius of pre-industrial levels to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.

The EU recognises the process established under the UN convention as the appropriate forum through which to develop and implement an effective global response to the threat of climate change. The ultimate objective of the convention is clear - greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere must be stabilised at a safe level. The 2° Celsius goal adopted by the EU responds to this objective.

The scientific advice from the IPCC is also clear on the need for early and effective action. A significant milestone towards achieving that objective is the absolute priority for the conference. Action is not just an option, particularly when we reflect on the plight of people in developing countries who are living on the "climate front line".

At the end of the penultimate round of the international negotiations in advance of COP 15, the EU restated its firm commitment to reaching a comprehensive, fair and legally binding treaty in Copenhagen. To be effective, the treaty must cover all countries and reflect a level of ambition consistent with the objective of keeping the increase in global temperature below 2° Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels. More specifically, the successor treaty to the Kyoto Protocol must respond to the four key elements of the Bali action plan, namely, mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and finance. It must also provide a clear and strong context for action in the form of an over-arching long-term goal, a shared vision that responds to the 2° Celsius objective by aiming to ensure that global emissions peak by 2020 at the latest, reduce by at least 50% by 2050 compared with 1990 levels and continue on a downward trend thereafter. Is Deputy McManus indicating?

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