State to provide extra €2.5m to countries at risk from climate change

The Government is to provide €2.5 million in additional funding for vulnerable countries bearing the brunt of global warming, including those living with the consequences of rising sea levels and extreme weather events.

Minister for Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten said the Government had also agreed “to support developing countries through sharing information and expertise around our Irish Aid programmes”.

The Government will provide additional financial support to the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which provide financial assistance for climate mitigation and adaptation projects in developing countries. Ireland has committed €175 million for international climate action over the 2016-2020 period.

Deputy director of Trócaire Finola Finnan said Mr Naughten needed to demonstrate how Ireland would step up its action on reducing emissions, “which are currently rising and far off track for meeting our [Paris] targets”.

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Fianna Fáil spokesman on climate action and environment Timmy Dooley said, however, that Mr Naughten “should be embarrassed for arriving at COP23 after doing little or nothing to address Ireland’s own emissions challenges”.

“Offering money to low income countries that are suffering from the results of climate change is all well and good,” he said, “but the fact remains: they are suffering because countries like Ireland are emitting dangerously high levels of emissions and are doing very little to reduce their carbon footprint.”