Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 7:

In page 9, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following:

“ “United Nations Sustainable Development Goals” means the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 1 to 17 set out in the document entitled “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2015” or any document which amends or replaces that document.”.

The amendment seeks to insert a definition of the UN Sustainable Development Goals into the Bill. The definition I propose comes from the Government's Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022. By inserting the definition, I am trying to ensure Ireland's international obligations under the sustainable development goals are reflected in this new body's work right the way through. One of the many issues I raised with the now Taoiseach and former Minister, Deputy Harris, during debates on the Higher Education Authority Act 2022 was the fact the legislation was lacking when it came to environment and climate action. Specifically, the use of the phrase "environmental development and sustainability" and its definition is not adequate and something I will return to in later amendments. I am disappointed that it seems the Department did not reflect on the very lengthy debates we had on these points and on that problematic element during the Higher Education Authority, HEA, Act. Instead, the same very problematic and outdated definition seems to have been cut and pasted across from the HEA Act.

Amendment No. 8 attempts to address this issue with the definition of "environmental development and sustainability". The HEA Act was to supposedly set Ireland up and mark out our vision for the future. We know one of the core areas and major areas for research into the future is climate, environment and sustainability. As highlighted during the HEA debates, the terminology and language in this Bill comes from the 1987 Brundtland report from the World Commission on Environment and Development.A commission that was dissolved later in 1987 was replaced by the UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement and the sustainable development goals. Ireland negotiated the SDGs and led in those negotiations. The SDGs now form the blueprint for how we could be living together in a more sustainable and equitable way on this planet.

My amendment would ensure that references to environmental development and sustainability do not use outdated language from before even the Rio Conference, which was the very first COP on climate, and before the SDGs. Indeed, that is a definition predicated on a very narrow relationship between this generation and the next generation, which does not reflect the realities of where we are today where every generation is already feeling the impacts of climate change.

In fact, my amendment would provide that the references would draw instead on the UN's sustainable development goals. These are definitions which the Government itself has put into other legislation. There is almost a contradiction between that dated definition that is being proposed here and definitions which we have in the Circular Economy Act, which are very clear about the relationship between the circular economy and sustainable development.

One of my amendments, and I have a number of amendment that address this, will provide that references to environmental development and sustainability shall be construed not just as references to development and actions that meet the needs of the present. As I have said, the language at the moment in the Bill must meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations, but that meets the needs of the present without compromising or contributing to the climate emergency or accelerating the climate emergency, which is already taking place, and without worsening or accelerating the climate emergency for those already experiencing its effects and those impacts.

Maybe in the 1980s we were in a space where we could talk about climate change impacting the next generation and that we have to balance what we do now with the next generation. Let us be clear, we are two or three generations on from the Brundtland report and we are now in a position where climate change is impacting this generation, not just people in Ireland but people in the developing world and right across the planet.

When we think about the actions we take, it is no longer simply okay to say we are balancing what we want to do now with what might suit people in the future. It has to be what we might deliver for us now, in terms of economy and so forth, without adding to the climate emergency for those people across the world who are already experiencing the impact, and without worsening the crisis that is already here. We are at the point of the next generations they spoke about in the 1980s and we failed them. We are in the place we are because they did not deliver on protecting the next generations. We are in generation climate change now. That is why this language needs to be changed and addressed. This is Committee Stage now and there will be opportunities between now and Report Stage to address this.

I want to be very clear that it is not good enough that in a Bill that sets the agenda for research and innovation into the future, we roll back to language that has not been used anywhere else since the 1980s and we ignore everything we have learned about sustainability and climate action in the decades since. In addition, we even ignore, and do not reference, the sustainable development goals. Imagine having a definition of sustainability from the 1980s and not referencing the sustainable development goals, which we not only negotiated but last September Ireland again hosted, at the UN, the discussions on where we go now and how we plan for the future of the sustainable development goals. Last September, Ireland chaired a discussion on this. It is a complete non sequitur. I can understand how it may have happened accidentally in the HEA Bill but I cannot understand how it is happening in yet another Bill a year and a half later.

The climate crisis is here and it is having a disproportionate impact on the world's most vulnerable. We heard the Climate Change Assessment Report at the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action this morning. The report was unequivocally clear that the climate emergency is already having impacts.It highlighted how in Ireland, the average temperatures are now one 1°C higher than they were in the early 20th century and that 16 of the 20 warmest years have occurred since 1990. Of the 20 warmest years on record, 16 have happened since publication of the Brundtland report. Moreover, 2022 was the hottest year on record to date. There are precipitation extremes and higher rates of sea level rise are expected. While I focused on people around the world who are impacted by climate change, the reports and research we saw also show that the impact in Ireland will be very severe.

Amendment No. 9 is an alternative to amendment No. 8 and provides that references to environmental development and sustainability should be construed as references to development and actions which comply with our obligations under the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD, and the United Nations sustainable development goals, SDGs, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing. In one, I use the definition that was used in the circular economy legislation. That is one proposal. Another proposal is that we simply refer to the Paris Agreement, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN SDGs. These are two very practical approaches, one of which takes from the circular economy legislation, and the other of which simply names those agreements we are already a party to, namely, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the Paris Agreement and the UN SDGs.

Amendment No. 10 is another approach, which would insert the provision that, as well as looking at future generations, we would also recognise the historic responsibility for climate change and its effect on current populations. Again, that is a really important one, because it recognises that the impacts are taking place now.

Amendment No. 18 would insert a new object into the section. Those are all in relation to the definitions of environmental development and sustainability, but amendment No. 18 moves to a new object of the body. The new object would be that the agency would promote and support research that funds the achievement of the obligations regarding climate change, including emission reduction targets, the protection and enhancement of biodiversity and the implementation and achievement of the UN sustainable development goals. This moves out of the definitions space. At the moment, the section on objects only references environmental development and sustainability in that narrow definition. If the Minister of State does not want to change that definition, we will need to add something extra. He can leave that if he wishes, but we can add something extra that specifically names climate, the SDGs and the enhancement of biodiversity.

Amendment No. 45 inserts a new function, which would require the agency to promote and support the undertaking in the State of research and innovation, which furthers climate action, the protection and enhancement of biodiversity and the implementation and achievement of the UN sustainable development goals. Amendment No. 46 would insert a new function which would require the agency to enable and assist research sharing and technology transfer between designated higher education institutions, HEIs, research bodies and public bodies in line with and with due regard to Article 4(1)(g) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, which specifically provides for technology transfer.

There is a gaping hole in this Bill in terms of addressing the climate crisis, biodiversity, sustainability and the environment in its widest sense. International research was mentioned, as was international funding. These are the priority areas for much international research. These are the priority areas for much international funding for research. On Report Stage, I might address how it is important that these remain a priority for example, for the Horizon Europe funding, and that we do not see that being rerouted into defence spending. This is another issue that needs to be addressed in research. At the moment, climate and environment are huge global priorities for research and innovation and they are not reflected properly in this Bill. I have therefore suggested addressing this in the definitions. I have suggested a way it could be addressed in the objects. I have suggested a way it could be addressed in the functions. I want to signal that I am really keen and willing to engage to ensure something happens in this regard in the Bill.I am putting forward multiple ways through which we can try to address this issue. If this Bill goes through as it stands, without any proper reference to or engagement with these issues, it will be dated as soon as it is printed. It will be out of date, given what we need as a society. I again urge the Minister of State to engage in the areas of either definitions, objects or functions. I ask for opportunities to engage with the Minister and his team between Committee Stage and Report Stage. I am open to the Minister bringing his own proposals for how we can ensure the sustainable development goals, biodiversity and climate change are properly reflected in this Bill. Nevertheless, I will be fighting hard to ensure we do not send a Bill that is not fit for purpose out of this House.