Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The draft text released last night by the COP presidency is beyond disappointing. For it to state that "reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuel in a just, orderly and equitable manner so as to achieve net zero by, before, or around 2050 in keeping with the science", is quite a disappointment in the context of the action that is required. The main issue that I have with that is the term "or around", and then a cop-out reference to the science, which was just thrown in for good measure.

I have serious misgivings about the organisation of the conference and its being hosted in an oil-producing country, not because I do not think we should do that in the future - I do - but we have to come to a global consensus on the meaningful decisions that have to be made by the entire global community as quickly as we possibly can. I endorse what Deputy Durkan has said regarding this State's role in weaning our citizenry off fossil fuels and accelerating the programme in that regard.

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