Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As I have three minutes and 15 seconds, I will do my best to be focused and not wander off. With regard to this conference, it is 30 years since the United Nations Framework on Climate Change was signed by approximately 154 countries in 1992. This latest conference took place in Egypt where, during the conference, almost 700 people were arrested, according to human rights organisations. Climate activists, NGOs, and the media reported surveillance and intimidation from authorities and, significantly, the number of lobbyists at the summit rose from 133 to 636, when compared with COP 26 in Glasgow. That is according to various recognised organisations.

What did the Secretary General of the United Nations point out? He said that COP 27 took place not far from Mount Sinai, a site that is central to many faiths through the story of Moses. Although we cannot hope for a miracle here, we need meaningful action. The Secretary General said it was fitting the meeting was near Mount Sinai because climate chaos is a crisis of biblical proportions. The signs are everywhere. Instead of a burning bush we face burning planet. He went on to say that we need to drastically reduce emissions now. Of course, this was something the countries copped out of at COP. The Secretary General welcomed the fund for loss and damage as essential but that it was not the answer. He talked about fundamental change in the way we look at our banks and financial institutions and what we allow them to do. The Secretary General said many more things besides.

I say my few words today in the context of a summer when 20,000 people died in Europe from heat waves in temperatures that would have been virtually impossible without climate breakdown. We are the lucky ones. All over the world we see that we are at the brink of famine in Africa and other countries, and we have also had floods in Pakistan.

I mention all of this by saying we can control leadership in a way that does not divide the city from the country. Ireland is a tiny country that should be united in a recognition the planet is burning. Ireland can be green and produce and export. The ESRI has produced a report that is absolutely frightening, telling us our emissions are 70% higher when we consider what we import. As all countries do that are rich, we import to keep consumption going, and the poorer countries lose out. In Galway, for example, we persist with ridiculous outer bypass roads and roads that are going nowhere, when there is a golden opportunity to look at light rail and sustainable transport. We must take it away from management who are not showing vision, and lead the way.

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