Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This pandemic, which we are still in the middle of, has proven to us on some level how we have failed to manage this planet. Unfortunately, we have seen it come back to hurt us and hurt our people in a really dreadful and tragic way, and we are far from through it. Within the last period, we have had COP26 and, for all the failings there may have been, it was particularly useful in reinforcing the issues we are facing as a planet. There are sometimes very simple statements that the planet is burning. Greta Thunberg's "blah, blah, blah" speech reinforced the fact we have all failed to do a sufficient amount.

I welcome this Bill from the Labour Party. There is a piece of work that needs to be done. In fairness, this is the sort of due diligence that could be done on Committee Stage rather than the kicking down the road that has been the way of the Government, particularly in regard to Private Members’ legislation in the last while. It is unfortunate given the seriousness of the issue we are dealing with.

Obviously, we need carbon footprint labelling done as best as possible. We will all benefit from the point of view of having real data in regard to the supply chain, the process in regard to goods, the actual carbon footprint and the real environmental cost. It will also mean we do not have some of the false claims we are dealing with at this point in time. I also accept that, as with all of these things, we should do the best we can. However, there is a necessity to deal with this on an international basis. We need to make sure, particularly at the European Union, that we get this element of best practice and due diligence.

I understand that companies may sometimes be particularly good at one aspect that we believe is beneficial. I welcome the commentary earlier that we need to deal with companies on the basis that not only are they environmentally good, but they are good in regard to their workers’ rights and their international relations. I have heard mention of, and I would add my voice on, the plight of the Palestinian people and the fact an awful lot of goods are still being produced in the occupied territories. We had the issue of the occupied territories Bill here. While there can be an over and back in regard to the Attorney General and whether it should be at this point or somewhere within the European Union, we need trade deals that have an element of fairness.

That fairness also relates to climate change. Deputy O'Rourke spoke about it being very difficult to sell to people the best practice and due diligence they need in their sector. If it is agriculture we are talking about, we have the impending madness of Mercosur. There is the possibility that if we have alterations to how we deal with agriculture here, where we may have best practice in many cases in regard to how beef is produced, we will be swapping that for Brazilian beef, with all the difficulties that relate to it.

We need to have a real conversation, and this Bill and the idea of carbon footprint labelling will play a definite role. I would also accept that for a huge number of people, when they go shopping these sorts of issues will not determine what they buy, and that will be on the basis of the choice that is in front of them. In many cases, if we are dealing with people who are suffering from poverty, they will not necessarily look at this.

On the wider issue, I reiterate Deputy O'Rourke’s point that what really needs to happen in regard to making the big moves that need to be made is that states have to play a huge part. I get that we are looking at changing the rules across the board. At European level, we are talking about green bonds but what are we really talking about? We all know the fiscal constraints within which we operate. We know some of those constraints were jettisoned during the pandemic but we all need to have a real conversation on what needs to be done. States need to play a lead role, as they played in the pandemic, particularly across Europe. We need to look at the means of freeing up the credit that is available at this point in time in a way that enables this State and other states, operating together on an international basis, to bring about real and meaningful change.

This Bill is a small piece of a solution and it will work. We have to do what we can to enact it as soon as possible.

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