Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 5, line 8, to delete “the transition” and substitute “a just transition”.

I am disappointed to see reflected in the Bill that the Government has taken nothing on board from the 12 hours of Committee Stage scrutiny we had on this Bill last week. Some 231 amendments from Opposition politicians were put forward and not only did the Minister refuse to accept any of them, he also failed to bring forward any of his own based on what was said at the lengthy Committee Stage hearings. We highlighted a plethora of areas that need to be addressed in this Bill and Sinn Féin brought forward amendments in a number of these areas, including on: the definition of a just transition and climate justice; the process of appointments to the Climate Change Advisory Council; the investor-state dispute mechanisms and their potential impact on climate action, such as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, CETA, for example; addressing the anomaly of the Government not being considered a relevant body; fracking; the need for impact assessments for specific areas; and democratic oversight of climate action plans.

Some of those amendments were ruled out of order and none of them was accepted. That is a very disappointing approach that undermines the cross-party approach that should have been taken to such major legislation, which will set out a framework for the next 30 years. We have resubmitted a number of amendments on Report Stage and I urge the Minister to improve the aspects of the Bill that we have identified.

One major area of concern is around the just transition aspect of the Bill, or the lack thereof, and that concern is reflected in amendment No. 1. We absolutely recognise the urgent need to combat climate change but we also want to ensure that decisions taken now and into the future do not disproportionately affect those who can least afford it. Although this Bill will not detail the policy decisions to be taken, it will outline the considerations that must be taken into account when proposing specific actions. We want to make sure the decisions taken to meet the ambitious targets contained in this Bill are progressive and fair, and have local communities at their core. Our amendments, specifically those dealing with just transition and climate justice, seek to achieve that. It is vital that this principle is enshrined in the legislation. This is where successive Governments have failed time and again. They have left people behind. Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party have opted all too comfortably for punitive measures which hurt the most vulnerable in our society. As a result, for the vast majority of ordinary families, climate action is associated with cost. The climate Bill must not be blind to the concerns of local communities. If we are to successfully move away from our reliance on fossil fuels, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a carbon neutral economy, we need a plan that brings communities with us, not one that penalises them or forgets about them altogether.

Sinn Féin’s amendments Nos. 1, 22 and 23 all refer to the need for the inclusion of a definition of a just transition and just transition principles. Amendment No. 1 is self-explanatory and would include just transition in the Title of the Bill. Its inclusion would highlight the need, from the outset, for decisions stemming from this Bill to be grounded in the principle of fairness.

Amendment No. 22 seeks to insert a definition of just transition into the Bill. Despite its huge importance, the term "just transition" is referenced just once in this Bill but has no definition, which undermines that single reference. Fairness and mitigating the impact climate action decisions could have on vulnerable groups and sectors should be a central pillar of this Bill but instead it appears as a token gesture. This amendment seeks to define "just transition" as "the bringing together of workers, communities, employers and government in social dialogue to drive the concrete plans,policies and investments needed for a fast and fair transformation to a low carbon economy and to ensure that employment and jobs in the new economy are as decent and as well-paid as those left behind". As I told the Minister on Committee Stage, he will be familiar with this particular definition of just transition because it is taken from his own Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018, so I hope he will not vote against something in which he clearly believes.

Amendment No. 23 again refers to the just transition aspect of this Bill. As mentioned, we are concerned that the just transition aspect of this Bill is far too weak and poorly defined, so we want to see this area strengthened. This amendment would see the inclusion of a definition of just transition principles, taken from the Scottish Act, and these principles are referenced in two of our other amendments, which seek to ensure these principles are taken into account in the preparation of the climate action plan and the long-term climate action strategy. This amendment states:

'just transition principles’ means the importance of taking action to reduce net emissions of greenhouse gases in a way which—

(a)supports environmentally and socially sustainable jobs,

(b)supports low-carbon investment and infrastructure,

(c)develops and maintains social consensus through engagement with workers, trade unions, communities, non-governmental organisations, representatives of the interests of business and industry and such other persons as the Ministers consider appropriate,

(d)creates decent, fair, and high-value work in a way which does not negatively affect the current workforce and overall economy,

(e)contributes to resource efficient and sustainable economic approaches which help to address inequality and poverty.

Our later amendmentsNos. 52 and 57are related and again seek to strengthen the definition of just transition in this Bill. There is opportunity in this and, as I said at the time, there was a clear theme to the amendments that came forward on Committee Stage. That theme has now continued on Report Stage. The Minister hears loud and clear what Opposition voices are saying in this regard. My party is committed to recognising the reality of climate change and the urgency to act on it. However, the path we choose to take to get there is equally important. I urge the Minister to listen to the clear soundings from the Opposition and communities.

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