Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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96. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the response by Ireland to the withdrawal of the United States of America from the Paris climate agreement; the impact the withdrawal will have on obligations of Ireland under the agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35326/20]

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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I submitted this question just after 4 November when the United States had withdrawn from the Paris climate agreement. They say a week is a long time in politics. Things look a little different now but I would still be interested in the Minister's thoughts on the decision of the United States, the time that has been lost since the United States first indicated it would leave in 2017 and how it looks now with new President-elect Joe Biden, hopefully, coming into the White House.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I might send on the script. As a personal reflection, and I hope I am not breaching a confidence here, the Taoiseach mentioned to me that he was speaking to President-elect Joe Biden this evening - he had to leave the Questions on Promised Legislation for that phone call. The Taoiseach said to me in the conversation one of the key points that President-elect Biden made was that they were going to be rejoining the Paris climate agreement. It was, for him, one of the key messages he wanted to get across in the conversation. That is a really welcome development.

I was in Paris at the signing of the Paris climate agreement and the sense of hope and expectation it raised is not all lost. It is close to being lost if we do not proceed with urgency now but it is still the only and best legal framework we have for international collaboration in achieving its object.

I was fortunate to meet the Chinese ambassador yesterday. In a visit to me, his primary message was that they are looking to achieve a more ambitious national declared contribution sooner than 2060 to net zero. I believe that has been helped by the European Union taking the position it has in going for the higher targets that we mentioned with Deputy O'Rourke earlier. This virtuous circle, I hope, in terms of the increased ambition from Europe, faster ambition from China and now America pledging to come back within the international agreement, gives us some hope that there might be a race to the top rather than a race to the bottom. The Americans rejoining the Paris climate agreement is about the best news I have heard in a long, long time.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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I think so. The Paris climate agreement was signed in 2015. The Minister was present. He was not an officeholder at the time. I am not sure if he was a Deputy. It is worth saying it just shows the Minister's commitment to this goes beyond what office he holds.

Many people on the left feel the need to caveat their congratulations to Joe Biden by saying they do not share his politics. I am not going to do that. I am delighted someone of such decency has won the presidency in America. I am especially delighted to hear the report the Minister has just given us that in his conversation this afternoon with the Taoiseach, Mr. Biden indicated his intention that the United States will rejoin the Paris Agreement soon after his inauguration on 20 January. Everyone knows it is not a perfect agreement but at least everyone is on the pitch playing the same game and with the Americans, who emit 15% of the world's carbon, coming back in it at least gives us some hope and hopefully we will have a race to the top. Will the Minister, in his capacity as our Minister with responsibility for climate action, be writing to the President-elect to follow up on that call with the Taoiseach? What other actions will he be taking between now and then?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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It might be slightly above my pay grade but the Taoiseach might be writing to him. I hope we may be welcoming him here shortly because I think it has been reported that the President-elect is expecting to come here. On a related topic, I had a further meeting last week with the Governor of California, Mr. Gavin Newsom's top climate officials. This is not just at federal level but is also at state level. In those technological centres, in particular, where innovation is coming from, they are committed because they see their state burning and the risks associated with climate change becoming very apparent and real. We can operate in co-operation with a whole range of different actors. What gives me a certain confidence regarding the President-elect, Mr. Biden, is that within his Democratic Party he has alliances with the likes of Senator Bernie Sanders and the sort of zero-carbon and keep it in the ground divestment movement Senator Bernie Sanders tapped into and he did not shy away from that during the election campaign. It probably lost him a good chunk of votes in some states but it gained him votes elsewhere and that strong commitment to divestment from fossil fuels in the election campaign gives me real hope.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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It was encouraging for those of us with a passion for climate action that during this campaign, which took place during a pandemic and which was in many ways a referendum on the other fellow, anyone listening to Mr. Biden's message would know that the climate action agenda was running right through his campaign. That is very encouraging for the future. The Minister has given us a good answer there.

On the tech industry, I have a question coming up in a couple of minutes' and we may have a different view on its relationship with the climate.