‘No time for climate delays’
CALL TO REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS
IRELAND’S climate change watchdog called for new taxation measures to cut emissions as it warned the State is “unlikely” to meet the targets in the first carbon budget.
It is committed to reaching netzero by 2050 and under EU law has to set out plans on how to get there.
However, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, figures show that the State will overshoot the limit for the five-year period by 295 megatonnes even with additional measures.
The Climate Change Advisory Council admitted there has been progress in some sectors but is calling on everyone to “redouble efforts to reduce emissions”.
Their chair, Marie Donnelly, said: “The impact and disruption of recent extreme weather in Ireland and globally continue to cause distress, uncertainty, and economic challenge.
“Yet, the evidence shows that the pace of emissions reductions in Ireland and globally is insufficient.
“While the reductions we are seeing in Ireland are welcome, they must be accelerated and delivered across all sectors and on a sustained basis.
“A crucial aspect of that delivery is cutting, and ultimately, eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels.”.
She explained: “The sooner we become independent from fossil fuels, the better it will be for our health, our security, the environment and our pockets.
“The rationale is clear - we do not have time for any further delays in climate action.
“Households and communities must be supported and enabled to make changes now, however incremental, and be empowered through targeted information to plan for future purchases.
Grasp
“The Council urges Government, and all of society, to redouble its efforts to reduce emissions and grasp the opportunity now, to create a climate neutral and sustainable society.”
The Climate Action Plan 2024 and sectoral emissions targets set out how the State will cut emissions.
But according to stats by CCAC, an area in which we are failing is transport. In 2022, emissions from transport rose by six per cent.