Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Alamy Stock Photo

'We cannot opt out': Minister defends record as Ireland lags mid-table in climate action report

In a new report, Ireland and Poland were the only EU countries to receive a very low rating efforts to curb emissions.

THE MINISTER FOR Climate has said Ireland cannot “opt out” of climate action as a new report showed the country is still not making enough progress.

The 2023 Climate Change Performance Index published by the Climate Action Network, Germanwatch and the New Climate Institute, ranks the performance on climate action of 59 countries and the EU, collectively encompassing 92% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Ireland ranked 37th this year, nine spots up from the last report but still squarely in the bottom half, securing a ‘low’ rating alongside countries like Cyprus, Bulgaria, Brazil and Belgium.

On greenhouse gas emissions, the report gave the EU a medium rating for its performance, dropping one place on the rankings to 24. Most G20 countries showed worse performance than last year.

Ireland and Poland were the only two EU countries to receive a ‘very low’ rating on action to curb greenhouse gas emissions, with Ireland coming in 47th place, while Sweden was the best-performing member state, taking the 3rd spot.

Ireland’s performance on renewable energy and energy use were not quite as poor, taking 23rd place and 28th place in each category respectively – a ‘medium’ rating for both.

But climate policy was ‘low’, putting us at 40 in the same area of the table as Malta, Australia, Thailand and Taipei.

Nonetheless, Minister for Climate Eamon Ryan insisted the report showed that Ireland has the right policies in place but that it must now deliver on changes.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland, the minister said that Ireland is “putting the right policies in place but we now need to deliver in the reductions across so many different sectors”.

“It’s going to be good for our country, good for our economy, but we cannot opt out. We cannot say Ireland, a green country, is not going to go in this in this direction,” he said.

“It’ll be challenging but it’ll be good for the country and I think we will see that ranking continuing to rise if we do that.”

The minister said the new Climate Action Plan will be published before Christmas and that it will “set out very specific and very concrete and very real, backed-up-by-law measures that we do have to take”.

“It is starting in the likes of retrofitting in our homes. We are on target for 27,000 houses this year that will be upgraded and improved with bills reduced because of people taking action with government support,” he said.

“The areas that are probably likely to be difficult are transport and agriculture because there you have long term patterns.

“In transport, long-term patterns of a car-dependent system. We need to switch that towards a much stronger system based on active travel, public transport, reducing the need for travel by promoting things like remote work. We can and will deliver that.

“In agriculture, similarly, while that tends to get all the attention, in my mind it’s one of the areas where we will see progress quickly,” he said, pointing to measures to support farmers earning income from more sustainable activities. 

“So yes, we have to now deliver and I’m confident that we can do so. We have to do so because by not doing so, I think our country would fall behind and would be seen as a laggard.

“That is changing. We are going up the rankings, we now need to put the foot to the pedal and go much further, faster.”

Minister Ryan is in Egypt this week for COP27, a major climate conference where negotiators are deliberating on new international climate commitments.

The conference is facing pressure in particular to deliver a significant promise from developed, high-emitting countries to support vulnerable countries experiencing losses and damages due to the climate crisis, as well as cutting down greenhouse gas emissions.

The minister is joining several meetings and panels today, including with the Green Growth Partnership, the Global Offshore Wind Alliance, and the Least Developed Countries Fund and Special Climate Change Fund.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
Our aim at The Journal is to produce reliable, meaningful, independent news and make it available to everyone. Our commitment to covering the climate crisis and what it means for all of us is an important part of that mission. We have built a dedicated climate action team who will be covering COP27 in Egypt this month. Their original and thoughtful reporting from Sharm El Sheikh will be free to everyone. This is intentional: we believe as many people as possible should be able to access accurate, insightful information on climate and environmental concerns.

Close
15 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shaun Gallagher
    Favourite Shaun Gallagher
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 9:54 AM

    Our carbon tax is working well.

    132
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Dowling
    Favourite Michael Dowling
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 10:17 AM

    @Shaun Gallagher: I want a refund of this failed policy.

    160
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Edward Reid
    Favourite Edward Reid
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 10:21 AM

    House retrofitting is not going to work, because the grants are still making it out of reach for most to upgrade and then even if they increased the grants or gave tax breaks, we don’t have the workforce to make the difference in the time needed for this. Government need to put viable alternatives in place for all not just the top 5%!

    110
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Derek Lyster
    Favourite Derek Lyster
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 11:17 AM

    @Edward Reid: house retro fitting should be free to those who need it. There should also be courses up and running training people on how to retrofit houses. Of course this should have happened years ago but the minister of soundbites and no substance has been asleep at tge wheel.

    76
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Barrett
    Favourite Dave Barrett
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 10:28 AM

    Bring back the Turf.

    97
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SPQH
    Favourite SPQH
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 9:22 AM

    This reporting seems off, I just looked up the index and Denmark is the highest EU country at 4th, Sweden is at 5th.

    72
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Corrigan
    Favourite David Corrigan
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 9:26 AM

    @SPQH: They are over doing the reporting. It’s going to get to the stage where people won’t listen anymore and just say screw it. The reports are relentless at this stage.

    184
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pat Man
    Favourite Pat Man
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 11:10 AM

    @David Corrigan: The essence of brainwashing, keep repeating the message over and over .Very little balance, resulting in a small number of indoctrinated fanatical supporters and a disillusioned majority.

    103
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SPQH
    Favourite SPQH
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 9:25 AM

    Interestingly there is no 1st 2nd or 3rd place as no country has scored high enough it seems! So Denmark sits at highest.

    38
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Hans Vos
    Favourite Hans Vos
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 9:59 AM

    Reading this: it’s about time that we’re opting in.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Metaljester
    Favourite Metaljester
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 10:03 AM

    @Hans Vos: more carbon tax is the answer……

    64
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Hans Vos
    Favourite Hans Vos
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 11:26 AM

    @Metaljester: more and better recycling like a lot of other countries is a better answer.

    13
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Baronvoncass
    Favourite Baronvoncass
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 3:34 PM

    @Hans Vos: it would be good to see especially for businesses, separate to do with climate change issue though.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Baronvoncass
    Favourite Baronvoncass
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 3:36 PM

    . Energy infrastructure is the way forward. Invest in fast track wind turbines. We need to maximise our resources, and we also do need security of having gas fields available for energy security aswell. Heat pumps for new and major renovations. Insulation grants for the large stock the rest have little alternative to gas and oil central heating, focus on improving insulation in those.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute thesaltyurchin
    Favourite thesaltyurchin
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 6:58 PM

    @Baronvoncass: Would be buying into tidal systems big time also.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute thesaltyurchin
    Favourite thesaltyurchin
    Report
    Nov 15th 2022, 6:57 PM

    “In transport, long-term patterns of a car-dependent system.”… er, isn’t that how we’ve been politic’d?

    3
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds