Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for introducing this long-awaited Bill. Rachel Carson'sSilent Spring, published in 1962, inspired the modern environmental movement, which began in earnest a decade later. It is recognised as the environmental text that changes the world. The following quote, first published 59 years ago, still rings true today:

We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frost's familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road - the one less traveled by - offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth.

Some 19 years on from the publication of Rachel Carson's book, Christopher Fettes formed the Green Party in Ireland. That was 40 years ago. His vision was international, as a global movement began in earnest to protect the path to which Rachel Carson referred. For 40 years, the Green Party has campaigned for this legislation against climate deniers, naysayers, lobbyists, complacency, fear and, let us not forget, the populist politicians who stand on the sidelines, afraid to get on the pitch and make a decision. There is a global commitment to collective climate action, and a growing awareness of the need for it, irrespective of the party to which one is committed or where one stands on the political spectrum. This is very evident in the latest German poll, which shows the Greens leading on 28%. Climate change is the greatest threat we have ever faced. It is looming while Ireland stands on the sidelines and ranks among the worst EU countries with regard to climate action.

We are, however, making progress in recognising the gravity of the crisis we are in. Most parties and Members of our Parliament have adopted green politics in their manifestos and have joined the collaborative effort to transition Ireland to a greener, fairer and sustainable state. Owing to this collective effort, today I speak to this monumental Bill and tell the people of Ireland that we will no longer be climate laggards. This Bill will allow us to lead on tackling climate change, no matter what administration or party is in government. It is a response to scientific consensus on climate change and the threat of irreversible global damage to our environment and to our security. It is a response to the natural disasters we are seeing globally and the destruction of wildlife and biodiversity. Importantly, the Bill will protect those people who are most affected by climate change but least equipped to adapt to its effects.

I have heard the saying many times that we know the price of everything and the value of nothing. I have witnessed farmers declaring that they can earn more from organic produce with half the stock. Farmers and their families must be supported so they can earn appropriate incomes from their farms. Diversification of land-use practice will make this happen. Farmers should be afforded a fair share of the profits of industrial agriculture or at least be provided with fair access to the market. Evolving land-use models incorporating forestry are creating carbon-smart agriculture and empowering less intensive agriculture methodologies through which farmers gain and in which industrialisation is not the drumbeat of Irish farming.

Ireland has the fastest growing forestry sector in Europe, with forest currently covering 10% of our land after coming from a standing start of just 1% in 1923. Our maritime climate is unique in Europe. We can grow trees at twice the speed of our European partners. In recent years we established our own structural grade construction timber, C16. In the main, we export this relatively new sustainable construction material to the UK to build homes. Many farmers have already begun to diversify their land, which will see Ireland doubling its roundwood harvest over the next 20 years, increasing the existing rural workforce in this sector with sustainable employment and revenues of up to €6 billion.

In 2017, South Dublin County Council became the only local authority in Ireland to have a wood-first policy, promoting the use of our own sustainable construction material. This is one of the many steps Ireland is taking to use sustainable carbon neutral materials in construction procurement.

The construction sector is one of the main emitters of CO₂, alongside transport, energy and agriculture. The embodied carbon of materials alone contributes 11% of global emissions. Europe is ahead of the game in setting targets for reducing the embodied carbon of our construction materials - as I noted, South Dublin County Council has a wood-first policy - but this is at the ha'penny place when it comes to real action. A new paradigm of construction methodology is evolving whereby building materials will be reused, locally sourced, maintained and measured to meet sustainable building practices to ensure we meet our climate targets. This Bill seeks to provide such targets.

A just transition is at the core of Green Party policy. Climate action cannot be achieved without climate justice. Retrofitting is a vital component of the programme for Government. It brings families out of fuel poverty and is a great example of how we can create sustainable employment by transitioning our energy sector. Previous Green Party policies, now enshrined in Part L of our building regulations, have taken more people out of fuel poverty than any other policy to date. It is projected that 25,000 people will be upskilled and employed in retrofitting, which will make homes warmer and energy bills cheaper and, importantly, bring families out of the fuel poverty trap.

I will conclude by thanking each and every one of those campaigners, both here in Ireland and globally, who have raised awareness of the rising challenge, who have called for more action, and who have held governments to account for the past six decades. While some have come to the climate change table very recently and may not see this Bill as perfect, they should realise it is the platform on which to build and create and it brings hope. I am sure those who condemn it will get on the pitch in the future to make it perfect.

I thank the Minister for his incredible work on this Bill, which will be his legacy. Eamon has devoted his career and personal life to this global movement to ensure that Ireland becomes a leader in tackling climate change.

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