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Cop27 hears message of ‘cop yourselves on’ as US goes to polls

Another climate conference, another call for action after years of paralysing inertia

Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the COP27 climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/Pool/Getty Images

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Harry McGee
Tue Nov 8 2022 - 07:38

UN secretary general António Gutteres gave the Cop27 version of going to hell in a handcart yesterday, basically telling the world that we are going to hell in a 1986 Lamborghini Countach.

I paraphrased that. He actually said that humanity was on a “highway to climate hell”.

In the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh world leaders have been gathering for the annual UN summit on climate change. The message does not change. Global warming has left us on the precipice. The pledges mount up: vast promises of vast action by most of the developed countries. And the action? Well, it’s the same paralysing, stultifying inaction every single time.

I attended Cop15 in Copenhagen in 2009 and Cop21 in Paris in 2015, out of which came the Paris accord which bound all the parties (countries) to limit global warming to below 2 degrees above pre-industrial level, and preferably to 1.5 degrees.

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As happened in 2009, and again in 2015, much has been said, much has been promised, yet little has been done. Mr Gutteres on Monday opened the two-day meeting for more than 110 leaders and told the attendees that the fight for a liveable planet would be won or lost in this decade on their watch.

As Kevin O’Sullivan reports, Gutteres did not mince his words: “it is either a climate solidarity pact – or a collective suicide pact.”

Kevin will be reporting from Egypt as the negotiations at Cop27 intensify later this week.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin attended yesterday and will be there today before flying home this evening.

He said Ireland would introduce reforms that would make it harder to block offshore energy generation.

“We need to focus more on delivery measures ... We all have work to do. Ireland has work to do. We achieved a lot with onshore wind. We need to ensure we can accelerate offshore.”

He also that Ireland was prepared to go further than the €225 million it has promised under international climate finance.

This was in recognition of the plight of vulnerable countries, but also those suffering now from extreme weather events, he said.

He made the valid point that Ireland is prepared to live up to its pledges while many other countries make plentiful pledges yet don’t deliver on them.

US midterm elections

Voting will take place in the US midterm elections today with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives as well as 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate at stake.

The Democrats hold a sliver of a majority in the House of nine seats. The US polls all its elections to within an inch of their life. This one has been no exception. The predictions vary but it looks as if the Democrats will cede control of the House. The predictions are saying over 210 seats are leaning or solid Republican with about 190 leaning or solid Democrat. There are about 35 swing seats. If even a handful of those go to the Republicans the House will be lost.

Strangely, the Senate looks a bit more secure for the Democrats even though it is more finely poised – 50 seats each with vice-president Kamala Harris’s vote needed to push votes through for the Democrats. Of the 35 seats up for grabs, 21 are Republican and only 14 are Democrat. Many pundits think the Democrats will manage to hang on.

Our Washington correspondent Martin Wall has an excellent tee-up piece today.

He has quoted the Republican leader in the House, Kevin McCarthy, setting out what actions it will take if it regains control. He said his party wanted to secure the southern border, cut back on government spending and carry out oversight and investigations into the Biden administration.

With Donald Trump reportedly on the threshold of announcing another run at the presidency, Republican wins in one or both of the Houses of Congress would result in many of president Joe Biden’s initiatives being blocked or stymied.

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An Irish solution to a European problem. So instead of Paschal Donohoe standing down as president of the Eurogroup when his term as Minister for Finance ends and Michael McGrath takes up the role, Donohoe is now making a bid to retain the EU job.

Already, as Pat Leahy and Naomi O’Leary report, he’s got support from Belgium and the Netherlands, and the Finnish minister has also made positive remarks without making a firm commitment. Read the full story here.

So Dublin Mayor Caroline Conroy has stood over her decision to end the live crib at the Mansion House at an acrimonious meeting of Dublin City Council. She did confirm there will be a crib but it will be a non-moving one. The alternative better be amazing or else she’s only going to be remembered for this. Olivia Kelly has reported.

Cormac McQuinn reports on calls by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties for improvements to hate speech legislation. The organisations wants a new definition close to that of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance which defines it as “irrational emotions of opprobrium, enmity, and detestation towards the target group”.

Fintan O’Toole criticises Irish legislature for laziness because of Oireachtas inaction in legislating on human tissues in the wake of a scandal on the retention of baby organs that first came to light 20 years ago.

PLAYBOOK

There is no Cabinet meeting today as the Taoiseach is still in Egypt attending Cop27. It will be held tomorrow instead.

Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys will announce details on dormant fund spending this afternoon.

DÁIL

2.34pm: Taoiseach-in-waiting Leo Varadkar will take Leaders’ Questions.

3:05pm: Dáil statements on the Creeslough tragedy in Co Donegal

4.45pm: Credit Guarantee (Amendment) Bill 2022 (Second Stage)*

8.12pm: Sinn Féin’s Private Members’ motion is on the health services

9:42pm: Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan will take priority questions.

SEANAD

The Seanad will hear statements on Housing for All. It will also be discussing the Private Members’ Bill on the Protection of the Native Irish Honey Bee, which has now reached committee stage. It was tabled by Green Senator Vincent P Martin.

COMMITTEES

10am: Joint Committee on Transport will be hearing from Bus Éireann and Go Ahead buses on the provision of bus services in Dublin and specifically how driver shortages are affecting services. See our report here.

3pm: The Joint Committee on Housing will hear from Waterford and Limerick councils on how they have been meeting the Housing for All targets on social housing, affordable housing, cost-rentals and the renewal of vacant properties.