Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann considers the Report of the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht entitled 'Report on the Outline Heads of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013', which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 20th November 2014."

I am pleased to be here this afternoon to discuss the report on the outline heads of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013 by the Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. The many developments at national, EU and international levels since the publication of this Bill in November 2013 and, more particularly, the publication of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015 make it timely to review the recommendations contained in the report as we chart our way forward.

Climate change is happening. We face risks of abrupt, unpredictable and potentially irreversible damage, and responding now will lower the risk and cost of taking action. The time has long since passed when the vast majority of people accepted the science and reality of climate change, and they have demanded action. The scientific community has convened conferences, published reports, spoken out at forums and proclaimed, through statements by virtually every national scientific academy and relevant major scientific organisation, that climate change puts the well-being of people of all nations at risk.

Climate Change is one of the key issues facing the world today and it is vital that we formulate the necessary policy and legislation to help Ireland move to a low-carbon and environmentally sustainable economy and society. The average global temperature has increased by about 1.4° Fahrenheit over the past 100 years. The sea level is rising and some types of extreme events, such as heat waves and heavy precipitation events, are happening more frequently. Earth's climate is on a path to warm beyond the range of what has been experienced over millions of years. As global temperatures rise, there is a real risk, however small, that one or more critical parts of the Earth's climate system will experience abrupt, unpredictable and potentially irreversible damage. Therefore, we must find agreement on actions that will ultimately turn the temperature down.

We have taken a bit of a battering over recent weeks. The recent sequence of storms has caused chaos and havoc, battering homes, businesses and farms across the country. Last summer was the hottest recorded since records began. This clearly demonstrates to us that climate change is not some abstract academic idea or a phenomenon that might happen at some time in the distant future; it is very much here.

Climate change is real and the power and frequency of the pattern of unpredictable weather is a testament to that fact. Waiting to take action will inevitably increase costs, escalate risk and foreclose options to address the risk. The carbon dioxide we produce accumulates in Earth's atmosphere for decades or centuries, or even longer.

It is not like pollution from smog or wastes in our lakes and rivers, where levels respond quickly to the effects of targeted policies.

The effects of CO2 emissions cannot be reversed from one generation to the next until there is a large-scale, cost-effective way to scrub carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Moreover, as emissions continue and warming increases, the risk increases. If left unchecked, it has the potential to severely damage not only our environment, but also our economy and our quality of life. It may also have major economic consequences for our essential indigenous sectors such as agriculture and food production. There is also a growing economic and political consensus that the costs of inaction will greatly outweigh the cost of action. By making informed choices now, we can reduce risks for future generations and ourselves and help communities adapt to climate change. People have responded successfully to other major environmental challenges such as acid rain and the hole in the ozone layer with benefits greater than costs and there are ways to manage the risks of climate change while balancing current and future economic prosperity but paying lip service to the problem will not make it go away.

The Government has committed to legislating in this area. Legislation is the best way to make sure that all Departments across Government, and all Departments across time, take climate change seriously and take action consistently. We have to hardwire action and accountability on climate change into the political system. In response to that demand, the Labour Party became the first party in Ireland to publish a Climate Change Bill in 2009. The programme for Government committed to publishing a Climate Change Bill to "provide certainty surrounding government policy and provide a clear pathway for emissions reductions, in line with negotiated EU 2020 targets".

This report represents the culmination of lengthy and wide-ranging consultations by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and Gaeltacht and led to the agreed outline of climate change legalisation. Months of lengthy hearings provided all stakeholders with a chance to air their views on the draft heads and this report reflects many of the observations made. The report contains credible proposals on how to ensure that our climate policies are rolled out in an efficient and effective manner. I welcome the fact that key recommendations in the report on the heads of the climate action and low carbon development Bill 2013 form the key pillars of the recently published Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015. The Bill has taken into account some key points of the report, including the establishment of the expert advisory group overseeing Ireland's progress on tackling climate change and proposes that it report annually on the progress being made by Ireland and can publish the report 30 days following presentation to the Minister.

Another recommendation included in the Bill means all relevant Ministers will report on an annual basis to the Dáil. This will greatly increase the level of scrutiny of the carbon reduction measures being implemented across Government. Overall scrutiny of the progress being made on climate change will be strengthened by the production of a new low carbon road map every five years, instead of seven as originally proposed. Most important, we will ensure that Ireland's EU targets become our national targets and put a legal obligation on the State to show how it intends to comply with them. The report and the Bill also state that any EU or international target Ireland signs up to will automatically become legally binding, whether that is for 2030 or 2050, and the national roadmaps would then be required to match that target.

This is the first time that a coherent and legislative response has been developed to the threat of climate change. The Bill will be one of the most important to come before the Dáil and the Seanad this year, and potentially years to come. This legislation sets us apart and will make Ireland one of the few EU member states to have adopted climate change legislation and one of the first to put a legal obligation on its Government to develop policies to plan for existing and future climate change commitments.

With challenges also comes opportunity. We must remember there is an opportunity for Ireland to develop a green low-carbon environment and industry that is green aware. Our economic recovery is not divorced from environmental issues. The two go hand in hand. Our economic recovery presents a chance to rebuild in a more sustainable way, creating jobs in agriculture, food, marine and tourism-based initiatives. Effective legislation can help make Ireland a hub for green enterprise and innovation. Many Irish companies have established their credentials as world leaders in providing green goods and services internationally and their innovations are contributing to EU and international efforts to lower emissions and decarbonise our economies. Our beef and dairy production is among the most carbon efficient in the world. Irish food producers have a vital role to play in providing a sustainable source of food into the future. The "Origin Green" brand has become a unique selling point for Irish food and drink worldwide. With regard to the wider economy, by improving resource efficiency, introducing different business models or offering more sustainable products and services, companies can expand their markets and create new jobs, while transforming existing ones. It is our job now to ensure Ireland has a strong legislative response to the threat of climate change. The time for action is now. I look forward to an informed and robust debate on this report and forthcoming legislation. We are ambitious for action on climate change policies, and this report is a tangible and positive step forward in the right direction.

I would like to record my sincere appreciation to all members of the joint committee and I would like to acknowledge the role played by the clerk to the committee, Mr. Eugene Ó Cruadhlaoich, and Professor John Sweeney in helping us compile the report and the facilities and support provided to us by the Library and Research Service of the House. As other members will attest, we sat through public hearings in the basement of Leinster House 2000 during exceptionally fine weather two years ago to take submissions. While other colleagues were on a break, we experienced at first hand the effects of climate change. It was almost an anomalous sign that we should get the work done as quickly as possible. All the contributions, particularly by the committee members, were valued and valuable. We invited in disparate groups from academia and the science and NGO sectors. For example, we heard from the IFA and IBEC and many people made submissions to the committee. The report was compiled on that basis and it was significant that there was unanimous agreement when it was published in late 2013.

People often remind Members of actions that are not taken or that do not happen quick enough. I would like people to cast their cast minds back to the controversial manifesto the Labour Party used for the 2011 general election. It stated, "Labour's Climate Change Bill will provide certainty about Government policy and a clear pathway for emissions reductions in line with negotiated EU targets", while the programme for Government states, "We will publish a Climate Change Bill that will provide certainty surrounding government policy and provide a clear pathway for emissions reductions, in line with negotiated EU 2020 targets". In 2007 when the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats-Green Party Government was formed, the Green Party talked a great deal about introducing climate legislation but that never happened for obvious reasons. It was one of the great pities of that Administration. While it will always be remembered for the economic circumstances that brought about its demise, this was one of the key areas in which I had hoped legislation would be introduced during that era, particularly when there was a booming economy and the pressure on our environment was more severe. However, it is happening now and I look forward to chairing the Committee Stage of the Bill. I thank all those who were involved or associated with the production of the report.

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