Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Article 4(1) of the Paris Agreement is specific in terms of its key objective. There are 19 subset articles within that but the key point in this is peaking of global emissions as soon as possible, recognising it will take longer for developing country parties, and undertaking rapid reductions thereafter. It aims to "achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks ... on the basis of equity, and in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty". Going back to our earlier debates, that was the centre of what we wanted. That reflects the objectives of climate justice in what we do. Article 2 sets out the key science and the commitment to keep global temperature rises below 1.5°C. The combination of the main scientific objective and the recognition in Article 4(1) that different countries will have differentiated responsibility is an appropriate focus in what we are setting ourselves to be consistent with, rather than all 19 of the subsections in Article 4.