Sir, – The terms of the Editorial (November 4th) and the article by John Gibbons (November 7th) demand that I write to set the record straight on some fundamental points in relation to national climate policy.
The Government is committed to meeting Ireland’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in the period to 2020. No concession has been sought on any of these targets, nor is there any deferral or watering down of the Government’s commitment to the climate agenda.
We are on course to comply with the Kyoto Protocol and we will do so in accordance with the strict requirements of the protocol. Beyond 2012, we have further mitigation targets which are binding under EU law. The Climate Policy Review which I issued last week clearly shows that these 2020 targets are challenging and that the mitigation measures currently in place must be strengthened in order to bring Ireland into a position to comply with them.
In focusing on policy initially, I am not dismissing legislation. The statement in your Editorial that I had “announced” that I have “no intention of introducing legislation to set out Ireland’s stall on how we are going to tackle the fundamental challenge of climate change” is wholly untrue. Similarly, the reference by John Gibbons in his article that I am “walking away from Ireland’s climate change commitments” is entirely unfounded. I made no such announcements nor have I any intention of doing so. I have stated clearly that it is my objective to introduce climate legislation over the lifetime of the Government, but policy development to underpin deeper mitigation is the most urgent issue and must therefore be the immediate priority. This is an entirely sensible approach, and one which I will be taking forward on a transparent and inclusive basis. I am very surprised that my recent statement has not been reported accurately by NGOs or your newspaper.
In addition to meeting future greenhouse gas mitigation obligations, national climate policy must contribute to positioning Ireland among the progressive leaders in the low-carbon global economy of tomorrow.
Environmental protection and economic competitiveness are equal and complementary objectives, and I intend to ensure that the policy we adopt will contribute to advancing successful transition to a competitive, low-carbon future.
Our emissions profile presents a complex challenge, particularly in relation to mitigation in the agriculture sector which was not fully developed in the Kyoto Protocol and has yet to be fully addressed in EU policy. We need to understand our profile better in order to ensure that transition to a low-carbon future is well informed and effective.
That is why I have asked the secretariat to the National Economic and Social Council to undertake a study to inform the policy development process, and also why I want to involve all stakeholders through a structured consultation early next year.
On the issue of stakeholder interests and lobbying, it is unfortunate the full facts have not been reported in this instance. For example, no mention has been made of the fact that I have engaged with all of the major stakeholders since I came into office. In that round of engagement, Friends of the Earth was represented at bilateral discussions with two separate stakeholder groups that support climate legislation. To date, I have had no bilateral discussions with Ibec. I briefly attended its in-house workshop on October 5th to deliver some key points which can be found in the copy of my speech which is posted, together with all the other material from the workshop, on Ibec’s website. I intend to continue my engagement with all stakeholders and an arrangement is already in place for a further bilateral meeting with environmental NGOs next week.
Finally, on the complex issue of climate protection and food security, it is important to recognise that both are global priorities. It is not a question of one or the other – both must to be addressed with equal urgency and in balance. I am not convinced that balance has received adequate attention within the climate negotiations to date and further work is needed to develop the scientific, technical and socio-economic issues. At the upcoming Durban climate conference, Ireland will be strongly supporting a proposal for an international work programme with an emphasis on the critical links between agriculture, food security, adaptation and mitigation. – Yours, etc,