Results 4,761-4,780 of 8,220 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (11 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: These are groups two and three and are referred to by the Minister as to how the sectoral ceilings might be reached. The sectoral ceilings when they all add together only barely get us to the 51%. There is a knock-on concern for the sectoral ceilings in their credible relationship with the 51%. We will probably come back to this again.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (11 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: Incentives are wonderful but we should never adjust the facts and should try to find other incentives.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (11 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: It is about the question I finished on. I would note that we have a recommendation from our committee on the carbon dioxide piece. I think it was recommendation 48 in the Bill originally that the calculation, production and revision of carbon budgets should not rely on anything beyond what is measurable in the timeframe of the budget. I want to ask about sectoral targets or sectoral...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (11 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: Professor Ó Gallachóir just mentioned-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank all of the witnesses. I will jump right in. One of the main concerns I have relates to climate justice. As the witnesses will be aware, there is an obligation in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 to have regard to climate justice but there is also an obligation in terms of equity. I was concerned at this attempt to strip that out and say that...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: It was a well-made point of the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, that a reduction of 7.6% on a global scale ongoing until 2030 might be the test. That is what was used in developing the target of 51%. If our guests could comment on that being a more appropriate measure of compliance than 1.5°C, I would appreciate it.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: In terms of future removals-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I seek a comment only. Professor Anderson and others have spoken about how that 7.6% is based on removals. Is it the case that future risks, such as tipping points, have a higher probability of occurring than some of the future removals? As a result, should the precautionary principle be pushing us much higher?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: To clarify, I was not suggesting 2018 for historical responsibility. The Paris test has no historical responsibility in it, and that is one of the issues with it. My question was about whether 2020 was appropriate as the base year for the volume of emissions in the world at that point. It was an unusual dip.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: That is fine.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the witnesses. The research NESC has done has been very interesting. I hope we can have a deep conversation on just transition at some point with the council because the issue is of interest to the whole committee. The witnesses will have heard yesterday's discussion when the scientific case for early action was made very strongly, as was the economic case in that the State can...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: The transition communities have also illustrated this point because they have been very quick and ambitious.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: Energy communities and transition communities seem to be one of the fastest and most effective ways of delivering transition. In terms of employment vulnerability, will the witnesses comment on the importance of engagement with employees and not simply employers, and the importance of the employee voice in looking at the issue of employment vulnerability and solutions?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: Mr. Coghlan's written presentation mentions we need to reduce emissions by 7% a year. Will he confirm that is the view of the Irish Environmental Network? It is important, of course, because the question is whether the budgets get us to 7% per year. I was surprised by the idea of waiting to look at the fair share issue until 2030. Mr. Coghlan might comment on the climate debt being...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: On my final point, two thirds of family farms are not profitable under the current economic model. Maybe we should be front-loading subsidies to them rather than keeping that model going because many who are thinking in the long term, for instance, of forestry, will not invest in carbon sequestration to last until 2030. Can we incentivise it in the short term?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: It is for Mr. Rushe, and Mr. St. Ledger may want to comment on that forestry issue as to how incentives are provided.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: And climate debt.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: That is climate debt.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: And Social Justice Ireland.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jan 2022)
Alice-Mary Higgins: I am conscious that I do not have much time left. Perhaps Mr. St. Ledger could provide something in writing on forestry?