Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his engagement on the issue. This amendment furthers the questions on the climate area. It is quite small but it tries to ensure we do not have an inadvertent narrowing of scope due to the way the Bill happens to be worded. It seeks to provide that designated environmental projects will be for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the State as part of the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I withdrew my amendment on Committee Stage because I felt it was worded in a way that suggested we could be funding projects abroad. That is not what I meant. I want to make clear that we do should not have projects or initiatives that outsource emissions reduction. When we talk about reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the State, it is part of making a global reduction. Sadly, however, we know there have been all kinds of manoeuvres and tricks in this area. Sometimes these are very hard to identify. We know that Japan relocated a number of its coal-burning operations to Bangladesh. Technically, Japan’s emissions may have been going down but, effectively, the factories that it owned were producing emissions in another territory. Emissions-heavy parts of a value chain may be intentionally located in poorer countries. Often, some of the countries least responsible for climate change suffer some of the worst impacts.

The amendment is to ensure that when we talk about reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the State, no inadvertent loophole may be exploited in terms of how responsibilities are framed. We should refer to reducing emissions in the State and to doing so in a way that contributes genuinely to the general global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. I am being very cautious because, sadly, we know that loopholes tend to get exploited. If there is any industry that is very adept at finding such loopholes, it is the fossil fuel industry, as we have learned from recent reports.

Amendment No. 5 inserts a new paragraph providing that designated environmental projects would achieve the implementation of policies that facilitate just transition, further the principles of climate justice, further the implementation of the United Nations sustainable development goals, further the achievement of the targets set out in the Paris Agreement, and further the protection and enhancement of biodiversity in accordance with obligations under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Amendment No. 6 is a technical amendment giving definitions of the terms in amendment No. 5. In the case of most of the provisions in amendment No. 5, I have used definitions that have been used elsewhere in legislation or proposed for other legislation. If the Minister did not agree with one of the definitions, amendment No. 5 would stand on its own. In the climate Act, for example, no definition of “just transition” or “climate justice” is inserted; rather, there is reliance on the internationally understood definitions. Climate justice is generally understood to refer to the common but differentiated responsibilities under the Paris Agreement and so forth.

I have suggested definitions in amendment No. 6 but, with or without those, the list of topics is really important because they will make for the meaningful and effective use of the moneys. Just transition was one of the main topics we heard about in our engagement with Mrs. Mary Robinson earlier today. What does just transition mean? At the moment, its meaning is narrowed down almost to one that concerns only the just transition fund from Europe. I hope I am not paraphrasing Mrs. Robinson inaccurately in saying we are in an era of just transition in which every job needs to be a climate-safe job and in which every area and sector is changing or transitioning. This is the moment we are at. Bearing in mind just transition and the question of common but differentiated responsibilities, when we invest in climate action in Ireland we must do so in a way that is responsible and recognises that we have a responsibility to play a role as part of a wider world tackling climate change and as one of the wealthier countries within that wider world.

With regard to the SDGs, Ireland led the negotiations. It was involved again last September talking about the SDGs and staying on track. We only have until 2030. The goals comprise a blueprint. They often get treated like an inspirational Pinterest but they are not that; they comprise a very practical blueprint with many practical suggestions and very genuine goals with targets and indicators. Every investment fund should check its activity against those indicators. That should be part of the ESG structures. It is a case of checking for an integrated approach that is about economic sustainability, the environment and social considerations all brought together. The goals contain the indicators that could let us know whether we are on track or off track. They comprise a useful check regarding any investments. Related to this are the Paris Agreement and the biodiversity framework. I am trying to centre-stage some of the tools and mandates that will be most useful when considering how the fund is allocated.