Climate Action Plan Report says:
The latest projections are that there will be an 11% reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2030 compared to the 2018 level under the 'With Existing Measures scenario', (p18) while Government’s stated target is 51%, showing need for a radical rethink. Even the best case scenario with additional measures that aren’t being implemented yet there will only be a 29% reduction by 2030.
The new Climate Action Plan has a 'massive black hole', according to People Before Profit, which leaves the state facing 'billions in fines'. Paul Murphy TD said the plan is “more spin than substance” and called for it to be “properly scrutinised and challenged”.
The report highlights that “The Environmental Protection Agency’s latest projections of GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions for the period 2023-2050 indicate that Ireland will exceed the first two carbon budgets by a margin of 17%-27%” (pg 23).
Responding to this, Paul Murphy TD said:
'The sums in this Climate Action Plan simply don’t add up. There is a massive black hole in the budget in so-called "unallocated emissions savings", which makes up about one-quarter of the promised savings. Imagine if an opposition party produced a financial budget with a 17 to 27% deficit, and a vague promise to make it up with "unallocated savings" - we would be ridiculed left, right and centre by the media. Why should the government get an easy ride on this? Because it is a "carbon budget" not a "money budget"? But if the government fails to meet the climate targets, we face billions of euros in fines. Their negligence and inaction is not just going to cost us the planet, it is going to cost every family and every taxpayer thousands of euros a year if it isn’t stopped.
'The government are trying to avoid real scrutiny of this supposed "plan", launching it during the Dáil recess, when they can’t face any questions from Opposition TDs. They shouldn’t be let away with that. Their spin should be challenged.'
People Before Profit specifically highlighted the report’s statement that 'The latest projections are that there will be an 11% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 compared to the 2018 level under the WEM scenario' (pg 18), while Government’s stated target is 51%.
'We are now closer to 2030 than 2018, but actual reductions in Co2 emissions have barely started', Paul Murphy stated. 'Current government policy would only get us 20% of the way to their current stated targets, leaving 80% of the heavy lifting to be done in the next 5 years. Any accurate reporting on this plan must start by pointing out that the climate policies of the last government were a complete and utter failure. Only then can we get the radical rethink and a change of direction we will need to.'
The party detailed some of the policies they think should make up this "radical rethink":
1. We need a rapid rollout of insulation and solar panels, to retrofit every house in the country.
2. The state should pay the costs, and split the savings with the users, reducing peoples bills, and their emissions.
3. Free, fast and frequent public transport would be a whole lot easier, cheaper and more climate friendly than trying to buy 'one million electric cars'.
4. Stop the corporate polluters, the data centres and the fracking companies who want to offload their dirty LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) in Ireland
5. Develop a plan to phase out fossil fuels
6. Transition to 100% low cost renewable energy.
We need a bold, ambitious Climate Action Plan not just to avoid the billions in fines we'll face, but to tackle the climate emergency and improve people’s lives.