Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Gerald Nash, to the House and I welcome Oisín Coghlan and Eimear Hannon to the Gallery. I am honoured to speak on behalf of my colleague, Senator Fiach Mac Conghail, who regrets he is unable to attend this debate but has worked extensively on the climate action issue along with his colleagues on the Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. I fully support the work of Senator Mac Conghail in this area and in the statement that I will make.

Warming of the climate system is unequivocal. Never at any point in history has the reality of climate change been so clearly measured and articulated by science. Any person who would suggest the effects are not yet being realised has lost touch with the nature that surrounds us. The last Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, the most exhaustive and widely accepted research to be presented on this issue to date, indicated that many of the observed climate changes since the 1950s are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The discussion now is not about if climate change is occurring but about building on what we know to combat it. Climate change can be viewed from many different angles and I acknowledge that it is a complex issue. Ultimately however, we have been provided with enough concrete information at this stage that there is no excuse not to act.

In September 2014 at the UN Climate Change Summit, the Taoiseach was unequivocal in his support for action when he said, "Leaders, governments and corporations have a responsibility to define objectives, make policy decisions and take action to preserve our planet and secure a prosperous future for its inhabitants." To do this we need an action plan. I note in this Bill that the proposed national mitigation plan will only take effect 18 months after the Bill is enacted. On this point I concur with Senator Keane in proposing that it should be a maximum of 12 months because we need to ensure we have sufficient time. The current 18 months will take us into 2017, only three years shy of our 2020 target. It is not sufficient time to initiate the level of change required.For this reason, I would support a maximum of 12 months before the advisory council presented its plan to the Taoiseach for Government approval. When finalised, the national mitigation plan should be adopted by a resolution of both Houses so as to ensure commitments to objectives are solidified and can survive if there is a change of Government.

The natural carbon cycle of our planet has become skewed to the point that we are endangering the very atmosphere that is necessary for the long-term survival and quality of life of the human race. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, has stated that, even if greenhouse gas emissions immediately ceased, many of the climate change impacts that we are experiencing would continue for centuries. Our path sets us up for myriad climate-related disasters. We are flirting with catastrophic events such as the extensive melting of the Greenland ice sheet, rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns and droughts. Long periods without rainfall can devastate families that are dependent on agriculture for their food and incomes. As climate change makes weather patterns less predictable, it is our poorest and most vulnerable who suffer the most. In a cruel twist of fate, climate change is being driven by the industrialisation of the developed world and significant greenhouse gas emissions from the richest countries, yet the impact is felt most acutely by the poor and developing countries that are least equipped to deal with it. The IPCC believes that, by the end of this century, sea levels will increase in more than 95% of ocean areas. This endangers low-lying coastal areas, contributes to flooding, erosion and the destruction of essential agricultural land and heightens the spread of disease. Human health will be impacted, as projected climate changes exacerbate existing health problems. Diminished food production will contribute to undernutrition and there will be an increased risk from water and vector-borne diseases. IPCC working group III notes the agricultural sector accounts for approximately one quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions globally and plays a central role in food sustainability and security. While acknowledging the central role that agriculture plays in our economy and society, we must focus on how to lower emission rates within the sector and support farmers and workers so that we can remain ahead of the curve.

Understandably, concerns over the immediate to short-term financial costs of climate change action are unappealing to governments that are trying to balance their budget books. However, I would argue that the future and long-term financial implications of climate change will be astronomical. Furthermore, economic prosperity and tackling climate change are not mutually exclusive aims. We must shift our mindset and consider the opportunities that adaptation can offer. A report published last September by the Irish Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change referenced Ireland's significant potential for export growth and the creation of new jobs. It recommended that the Government articulate a coherent vision and strategy as a necessary first step.

I would look to the progress made by the Scottish Government since passing its far-reaching climate Act in 2009. An analysis by the independent trade body Scottish Renewables last November showed that renewable energy had for the first time in Scottish history overtaken nuclear, coal and gas as the main energy provider for the country. We need to look forward and devise plans to harness our resources. By getting our Bill to the point that we have reached today, the Government has demonstrated the political will needed to play our part in the global effort to combat and mitigate climate change. It is imperative that we lay the right foundations on which to build our future actions and responses. I concur that now is the time for action. However, I am sure that the Minister of State does not intend to restrict the role of the Seanad in ensuring that the Bill is fit for purpose. On this note, my colleague, Senator Mac Conghail, has particular concerns about the need for a definition of "low carbon". He intends to address this and other issues through a number of amendments on Committee Stage.