Climate campaigners give cautious welcome to reply from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to Green Party climate questions

The Stop Climate Chaos coalition has given a cautious welcome to the letter from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael published today (April 29th) in response to last week’s set of questions from the Green Party. 

On reviewing the FF/FG response, the Coalition said that the replies could potentially provide the basis for a Programme for Government that would implement more ambitious climate policies. The delivery of faster and fairer climate action across nine policy areas has been a key demand of the One Future campaign, to which Stop Climate Chaos is a signatory. Many of these policy proposals are addressed, if not definitively answered, in the documents that have been exchanged between the three parties so far.

In particular, the Coalition has been consistently calling for the next Government to build on the governance recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action and prioritise to strengthen the 2015 Climate Act, with a view to a new climate action law being passed by the Dáil within 100 days of the formation of a Government. In their letter, both parties commit to a new climate Bill within 100 days of a new Government. 

Commenting, Oisin Coghlan, Coordinator of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition said:

“We welcome the commitment from Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin to enact a new stronger climate law within the first 100 days of a new Government. It is the cornerstone of any adequate plan to cut our polluting emissions.”

On the question of commitment to 7% annual reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, both parties gave no formal commitment to the figure. This amounts to 20% less emissions over the coming decade than what is being proposed in the outgoing Government's 2019 Climate Action plan. This reduction rate is the bare minimum Ireland has to do to respect the science, and yet the emissions reduction figure proposed still does not amount to Ireland’s fair share of the global effort to avert climate breakdown.

Commenting, Mr. Coghlan added, 

“On the question of the scale and speed of emissions reductions, it is good to see Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael accept joint responsibility with the Green Party to ‘tease out’ how Ireland can deliver pollution cuts of at least 7% a year fairly and effectively.

“We know where they should start. There are lots of policies and measures in last year’s cross-party Oireachtas Committee report that did not make it into the outgoing Government’s 2019 Climate Action Plan. And the leaders of five parties, but not Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, signed the One Future Campaign pledge on nine policies to deliver faster and fairer climate action.”

The letter from both parties also includes reference to the question of a different reduction target for biogenic methane. Methane has a much greater warming effect than carbon dioxide per unit of emissions released but its atmospheric lifetime is much shorter. It is particularly problematic for Ireland given the predominance of agricultural methane and nitrous oxide in Ireland’s emissions profile. Stop Climate Chaos policy advisor Sadhbh O Neill stated,

“A separate reduction target for methane could be a good idea. However, it would need to be legally binding and deliver steady reductions in methane and nitrous oxide emissions from the agricultural sector. This will have to mean changes in agricultural and land-use policies, but there will be benefits to biodiversity and water quality if we tackle methane emissions. However, it will be essential that the next Government act on the recommendation from the Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action for a just transition plan for the sector that helps protect livelihoods.” 

In late 2019, the Climate Change Advisory Council advised the outgoing Government to seek scientific advice on the appropriate target for emissions on methane. On this matter and its relevance to setting targets going forward, Ms. O’Neill added, 

“It is somewhat worrying that the Climate Change Advisory Council, a body tasked under the 2015 Climate Act with providing scientific advice, does not actually have the expertise to devise this methane target. We call on the parties likely to form the next government to appoint a climate scientist to lead the new Climate Action Council that will be established under revised legislation.”

The Coalition welcomed the reply from both parties on the questions of phasing out offshore gas exploration, on not building new fossil fuel infrastructure, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG)  import terminals, and on stimulating strategic investment in the parts of Ireland which are expecting economic development arising from new fossil fuel projects. 

Responding to the concerns of climate groups, Meaghan Carmody, Head of Movement-Building with Friends of the Earth, a member of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, said 

“The swell of action from groups and individuals across the country to resist the LNG terminal has been astounding. No doubt these groups are today welcoming the signalled commitment from both parties on no new fossil fuel infrastructure, including LNG, as well as a stated commitment to ensure alternative investment in the area. However, they will be waiting to see whether or not this might translate into meaningful, genuine commitment in any Programme for Government that follows.”

Oonagh Duggan, Assistant Head of Policy and Advocacy of BirdWatch Ireland, also a member of the Coalition commented, 

“We remind all parties who may enter government formation talks that transformative change is the only way we can address the devastating loss of biodiversity in Ireland and to mitigate the impacts of this on our economy. The next Programme for Government represents a significant opportunity to halt the loss of nature and to fully integrate biodiversity goals into policies on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, housing, health, transport and energy so that we can continue to reap societal benefits from these sectors.”

Finally, in relation to the commitment to set Ireland on a clear and certain path to meeting our UN obligation to spend 0.7% of our national income on Overseas Development Aid, Stop Climate Chaos welcomes the commitment to reach the target by 2030 as a vital part of climate justice.  

Niamh Garvey, Head of policy and advocacy with Trócaire said, 
 "It is very welcome to see both parties reaffirm Ireland’s commitment to overseas development. The Coronavirus has highlighted the importance of global solidarity. We can’t defeat this virus anywhere until we defeat it everywhere, and that will mean supporting countries who lack the resources to fight it alone. The climate crisis requires a similar response. The entire world is facing the impacts of climate change so we have to work together. That means supporting those who are being hardest hit."

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