Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of Sinn Féin, I welcome the opportunity to discuss and debate the Government's framework for sustainable development for Ireland. Sustainability is a much used and abused and often misunderstood term. If someone wants to sound environmentally friendly, he or she simply peppers his or her contribution with the word "sustainability". Sustainable development has been defined as balancing the fulfilment of human needs with the protection of the natural environment so these needs can be met, not only in the present but in the future. The Brundtland Commission, which the Minister quotes, defines sustainable development as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

This is an important framework document that should be the compass for decisions made by the Government and should guide Government policy. It should not be seen simply as a Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government document or as an afterthought by other Departments, statutory agencies or public bodies. To be effective, the framework for sustainable development must receive the political support and resources it requires to ensure its success. Unfortunately, in response to a parliamentary question I tabled in June, the Minister stated that no extra resources would be allocated for its implementation.

In the document's introduction, the Minister states: "I welcome the fact that political oversight will be delivered through the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and the Green Economy, supported by the High-Level Inter-Departmental Group on Sustainable Development chaired by my Department". The reality is different. Unfortunately, the Minster's track record on climate change is very poor. Despite the fact that climate change is mentioned five times in the document, the Minister continues to flip-flop on the issue. So far, no heads of a Bill have been drafted and no contact has been made with Departments to ensure they have an input. Climate change continues to be moved down the agenda, which annoys me greatly. The Cabinet committee on climate change and the green economy meets in secret, with no minutes and no accountability, whereas, under the previous Government, for all its faults, the Cabinet sub-committee on climate change was an all-party committee focused on drafting a climate change Bill.

It must be a priority for this Government to introduce a climate change Bill. It is the cornerstone around which a sustainable future can be built, a point on which I hope we can all agree. The Minister has had the public consultation. We must now have the drafts of the Bill circulated to the Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. Time is not on our side. The consequences of failing to draft and agree a climate change Bill are much too serious to simply ignore it or put it on the back burner.

The framework document states: "Ireland is required to progress down an annual emissions reduction trajectory from 2013, reaching a point in 2020 where emissions are equivalent to 20% below their level in 2005." The document clearly outlines the consequences if the Government fails to introduce a climate change Bill. If we continue with current levels of consumption, we would need three planets' worth of resources to keep us going. Our overall ecological footprint is the tenth highest in the world, and we must change this. The document goes on to state: "Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions are among the highest per person in the world." There can be no more arguments, prevarication or stalling.

Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Assembly is proceeding with the drafting of a climate change Bill in line with the Westminster Bill. The Minister knows that the challenges and consequences of global warming do not stop at borders. Here is an opportunity to approach this issue in a real, all-Ireland way. In fact, the draft Bill produced by the sub-committee on climate change during the term of the last Government is available, and Deputy Hogan's ministerial colleague, Deputy Simon Coveney, was an enthusiastic champion of the Bill.

Whatever we do in regard to the new Bill, it must have five key components. First, it must contain legally binding five-year carbon budgets.

Second, it must have an independent expert authority looking at the evidence and publishing its advice to the Government. Third, there must be a science-based target for 2050. Fourth, EU leaders have accepted the findings of the global Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that there must be a reduction in emissions of 80% to 90% compared to the 1990 baseline figure by 2050. The fifth element is that there must be a commitment to meeting these targets domestically. We simply cannot buy our way out of meeting the targets. It would be far too costly an approach, both financially and environmentally. We must have clarity and certainty in order that business and householders can invest.

The challenge of sustainability must be viewed in an historical context. There has been close a correlation between economic growth and environmental destruction. Right through the industrial revolution the environment and its inhabitants suffered. Forests, rivers and lakes were destroyed in an effort to meet the demands of growth and greater profits. In this country entire counties were deforested to meet the needs of the industrial revolution in Britain. The walls of the House of Commons are panelled with wood from forests in County Cork.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development states "Business cannot succeed in societies that fail". A major hurdle to the achievement of sustainability is poverty. It has been widely acknowledged that poverty is one source of environmental degradation. Such an acknowledgment has been made in the Brundtland Commission report, Our Common Future, and the United Nation’s millennium development goals. According to the Brundtland report,

Poverty is a major cause and effect of global environmental problems. It is therefore futile to attempt to deal with environmental problems without a broader perspective that encompasses the factors underlying world poverty and international inequality.

Poverty has become a reality for more families in the State today than was the case ten years ago. Unfortunately, the level of child poverty has increased for the first time in more than a century. A total of 200,000 children are now living in poverty. More than 700,000 people in total are living in poverty, and the unemployment rate is almost 15%. Meanwhile, the Government continues to bail out zombie banks to the tune of billions of euro. It is not sustainable for the level of poverty to increase, while billions of euro is exported to unguaranteed bondholders.

Treating the environment as an afterthought may generate short-term profit at the expense of sustainability. Sustainable business practices, on the other hand, integrate ecological, social and economic concerns. Growth that depletes ecosystem services is sometimes termed "uneconomic growth" as it leads to a decline in quality of life. Minimising such growth can provide opportunities for local businesses. To combat poverty, create jobs and provide an economic stimulus, the Government must develop the green economy. It must not be kept in the hands of a secret Cabinet sub-committee but must instead become a reality for the people of the country. We must involve them in the process.

The notion of sustainability as a business opportunity has led to the formation of organisations such as the Sustainability Consortium of the Society for Organizational Learning, the Sustainable Business Institute and the World Council for Sustainable Development. Research focusing on progressive corporate leaders who have embedded sustainability in a commercial strategy has yielded a leadership competency model for sustainability. The expansion of sustainable business opportunities can contribute to job creation through the green economy.

In my county of Laois there is significant potential for wind energy projects and the establishment of wind farms. If such farms are located sensitively on unused land through local consultation, this industry could provide jobs and energy for communities beyond the midlands and even these shores. Sinn Féin calls on the Government to kick-start the wind power industry with a €600 million investment in infrastructure, in addition to a €400 million investment by the European Investment Bank. We favour reforming and reducing the lead-in time necessary for projects and would mandate the ESB to develop an extra 300 MW of offshore wind generation capacity in the next five years. It is estimated that this industry has the capacity to create 50,000 jobs over a 15 year period.

Tourism is under-resourced and untapped in the midlands, particularly in Counties Laois and Offaly. Laois and Offaly county councils are committed to financially backing the development of a mountain bike trek through the beautiful Slieve Bloom Mountains. However, the project urgently needs the backing of the Government and Tourism Ireland. It has the backing of the local authorities. It ticks all the boxes; it is about job creation and sustainability and will provide an economic stimulus in rural areas of counties Laois and Offaly where there is little work to be found.

Energy efficiency measures could also increase profits by reducing costs and provide jobs. A total of 1.4 million houses in the country are in need of insulation and retrofitting. According to the Institute of International and European Affairs, an investment of approximately €14 billion would be required to bring residential housing stock up to an average building energy rating, BER, of C1. We heard much talk from the previous speaker about C ratings. This measure would save the average household €1,496 a year. It would also help the country to reach its 20% energy efficiency target by 2020.

Sinn Féin supports the framework document, but, more importantly, we aim to hold the Government to account to ensure sustainability becomes the common thread running through all Government policies and actions. The Minister states in the introduction to the document that “the business as usual approach will not suffice.” We agree. We have an opportunity to break the business as usual cycle, but the Minister must prioritise the drafting and circulation of the heads of the climate change Bill. I appeal to him to do so. The Bill will be the litmus test of whether the Government is serious about pursuing sustainability.

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