Déirdre de Búrca (Green Party)

I welcome this Bill and the opportunity to discuss it. As a member of a political party that has taken the lead in pushing for real action on climate change, it is encouraging to see the issue being raised as a priority in the early weeks of the 23rd Seanad.

I commend Senator Bacik on proposing the Bill. I welcome that the provisions in the legislation closely mirror the ambitious commitments on climate change secured by the Green Party in the programme for Government.

The agreement reached in the programme for Government of an average 3% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions each year over the next five years is one that will require skilful political planning and execution. Essentially, it will begin the challenging process of decarbonising the economy. If we are serious about addressing the growing threat of climate change and Ireland's contribution to this global problem, we have no choice but to begin to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions.

Unfortunately, at an international level many governments are still at the stage of engaging in impressive rhetoric about the challenge of addressing climate change but doing little in practice. This is because the process of decarbonising an economy requires changes across every policy area including energy, transport, planning, housing, industry, etc.

The process will require co-operation and buy-in from all sectors and support for a range of policy measures that will call for an often difficult process of adaptation and change. Political leadership will be essential. I acknowledge the leadership shown to date by the Green Party's Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, who recently introduced building regulations within months of taking office. I also acknowledge the ongoing initiatives of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan, within the scope of his Department.

Ireland has a headstart on many other countries, including EU member states, in tackling climate change as we have moved beyond rhetoric with the substantial commitment to reducing our emissions in the programme for Government. The programme must be implemented. Within four months of the formation of the new Government, a high-powered Cabinet sub-committee dealing with climate change was established and has already met. It will agree policy measures that will be necessary in order to achieve the 3% annual targets that have been set.

However, in countries such as Sweden, which have set serious and ambitious targets for tackling climate change and decarbonising their economies, it has been shown that a vital political precondition for reaching these targets has been cross-party support for implementing the necessary policy measures. Climate change is too serious an issue to be cynically played with by Opposition parties. It is too easy to demand action on climate change from the safe benches of Opposition and then to refuse to support the policy measures necessary to tackle it.

It was disappointing that a Private Member's motion proposed by the Green Party in 2005 seeking an all-party approach to dealing with the issue of climate change was voted down by the Labour Party and Fine Gael. Their commitment to tackling climate change does not appear to have progressed beyond the politically superficial level of calling for change but failing to give their support to concrete policy measures necessary to bring about this change.

I call on the Fine Gael and Labour parties to come off the fence and to stop playing political football with this important issue. I invite them to join a new all-party commission on climate change which will agree the objectives and policy measures that will allow this country to meet the annual targets of 3% reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Let them show real political leadership and join the Green Party and the Government in helping this country to be in the vanguard, giving example to the rest of the world in tackling climate change. Are they capable of this kind of political leadership? I hope the answer is "Yes".