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LEAVING CERT RESULTS may be over for another year but the government has just been handed a score sheet of its own for its progress on climate action.
A panel of three academics who scrutinised the climate promises made by the government at the start of its term and compared them to current actions has given the Fine Gael/Fianna Fáil/Green Party coalition a C+ for 2023.
It’s a slight increase from last year’s C, representing cause for “hope” but not “celebration”, the new report has stated.
The research was carried out by Dr Cara Augustenborg of UCD, Dr Diarmuid Torney of DCU and Dr Paul Deane of UCC. Environmental NGO Friends of the Earth commissioned the assessment but did not have a role in deciding its results.
The 2020-2025 Programme for Government contains almost 300 commitments linked to climate or the environment. The expert panel conducted research into the level of progress made on the commitments, accounting for the fact that the coalition was in the third year of its five-year programme.
It divided the government’s commitments into nine categories – climate; nature and biodiversity; waste and the circular economy; water and marine; air quality; transport; buildings; and energy – and gave each a score out of 10.
The panel found that progress in the last year was particularly poor in the areas of water & marine and agriculture & forestry, which it graded just five and four out of 10 respectively.
The report noted that there was “significant progress” on energy commitments compared to last year, rising from a score of four to seven, and moderate improvement in buildings, up from six to seven.
The best progress was made in waste and circular economy, but even that ranked only 7.5 – a decrease from its 2022 and 2021 rating of 8.5, which the report attributed to a “lack of clear implementation after an excellent start in policy development”.
There was also a decline in progress on transport commitments due to “lack of spending on active transport infrastructure and a rebound of greenhouse gas emissions in this sector”.
The report calls for the government to fully implement the Climate Action Plan and scale up its level of action.
It must also provide more clarity about the legal consequences of failing to meet climate commitments, create better collaboration between departments, and improve engagement with the public in communicating the need and reasons for climate measures.
In agriculture, the report said that even with “limited ambition”, the State is “still largely failing to achieve its own promises”.
“While greenhouse gas emissions reduced slightly in the agricultural sector in 2022, this was driven by high fertiliser costs rather than policy interventions and could easily rebound in the future as prices stabilise,” it stated.
“More proactive interventions and less complacency by the Government is essential for agriculture to achieve its emission reduction targets and play its part in improving water quality. In addition, adaptation to future climate change must be given more consideration regarding risks to food production.”
The report welcomed investment in sustainable transport options but emphasises that there “is a difference between throwing money at a problem and spending it, and the underspend of local authorities in this area has been a roadblock to success”.
There has been progress in legislating for e-scooters, lowering speed limits, the uptake of electric vehicles and public transport projects but commitments on ride-sharing, extending bike-to-work schemes, school transport and the Western rail corridor “do not appear to be progressing” and the Metrolink and Bus Corridor projects “have been plagued with planning issues”.
Dr Augustenborg, the panel’s chair, said the government is taking action on climate but that it is not yet having a clear impact on people’s lives or matching the scale of the climate crisis.
“We’re accustomed to hearing nothing but bad news when it comes to Ireland’s environmental record but taking a deep dive inside the government’s work since 2020 provides clear evidence that progress is being made to improve Ireland’s environmental health in most areas,” she said.
It’s frustrating that this work is not yet apparent in people’s lives and we’re not seeing the transformational changes needed to address the climate and biodiversity emergency.
“However, if Government doubles down on their efforts through intense and sustained effort, we could be living in a more sustainable Ireland within the decade. The question is whether or not the government’s will is strong enough to accomplish this in the short time remaining.”
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Ryan seems to be flying from South Africa to USA for meetings, why don’t they use Zoom?
There is no “climate change” emergency!
There is out of control “climate change”alarmism though!
Trust the science on this one.
Look up professor Ray Bates. No other scientist in Ireland would tie his shoelaces when it comes to credentials for climatology. See what he says!
Look up the ICSF Irish Climate Science Forum. See what they say!
These scientists have been silenced in this country for having a different opinion, the same as many scientists all across the world! I’ll probably be silenced here by the journal too. Let’s see if the Journal allows open debate.
@peter o donoghue: people can find out more about noted contrarian ray bates here; desmog.com/2021/09/28/uk-climate-denial-group-slides-further-into-obscurity-with-latest-appointment-say-academics/ Don’t listen to the fringe nutcases too much myself
@peter o donoghue: There’s no climate change emergency? You are clueless.
@Cian O: clueless reply
Scorecard:
Climate Change C+
Immigration Control F-
Healthcare F-
Woke Agenda A+
Housing D+
@Dan Danny: ‘woke agenda’ hahahaha
More taxes!
@Canada Goose G Dog: That right there is the problem. They are collecting a massive amount of green taxes but there doesn’t seem to be anything to show for it. There’s no plan, no inititatives or achieved goals.
@David Corrigan: I don’t know how you could have both read the article and also come up with that statement (which you repeat ad nauseum) – makes no sense
@SYaxJ2Ts: The evidence is just not there. Show me the output? Show me a list of companies or individuals who are producing solutions to our energy capacity problems?
Not some half arsed attempt at explaining far out ideas in published papers etc. Real results. Real and ready to use solutions that will benefit us all.
@David Corrigan: they have been very successful at creating congestion and massive tail backs in places where there really shouldn’t be.
@jiminybillybob: I agree.
@David Corrigan: companies or individuals? We’re talking about the government collecting taxes and having no plan. So again, read the article.
@SYaxJ2Ts: Clearly you are confused. I am talking about output. Taxes collected under the guise of green finance should be pumped into developing solutions.
There is no evidence that they have a plan or purpose for that money. From the report:
“It’s frustrating that this work is not yet apparent in people’s lives and we’re not seeing the transformational changes needed to address the climate and biodiversity emergency.”
It’s simply not there.
@David Corrigan: not yet apparent in people’s lives is very different to no plan. Overall, they were marked as C+. Much more to improve on, but your assertion that there is no plan nor initiatives is clearly false.
@David Corrigan: that’s the greens fir ya. I wanna know what and where my taxes are going.
@Joanne Stokes: Its a very reasonable question Joanne. We need more people asking such questions.
Kevin about is trying to convince people that the output is there. If it is (and that’s a very big if) it needs to be shared with the people financing it i.e. the taxpayers.
Until then, I am saying there is no valid plan.
@David Corrigan: is there a country with a valid plan in your opinion?
@Bill Spill: Good question Bill. The US have invested very strongly and are developing great solutions. Closer to home, I would say Sweden and Holland are leading the pack.
Meanwhile in Ireland, they invest 350m to buy electric buses which have been in storage for years due to the lack of charging points.
A pitiful situation.
@David Corrigan: ah so the language has changed to no valid plan. Baby steps, but you’ll get there eventually
There has been little or no investment in reinforcement of the grid to allow for the extra demand that EVs and heat pumps will bring. The grid that is already overstretched.
Demand outstrips supply by circa 20% and will do so till at least 2033, based on no growth in demand over this period.
The government has only released a consultation paper on private wiring in August 2023, meaning it will be some time before it’s legislated for…. this means solar, wind, and other green solutions need to go to the grid as opposed to being connected directly to large commercial end user clients. The grid that’s already at overcapacity.
And that’s just for electricity.
@Brian Keelty: There is no plan Brian. Just collect taxes and it all stops there.
What did they get on housing
@Furious George – The Wasp: Z-
@Brian Keelty: A big dirty NG on everything else.
Not doing very good eamon your salad boxes are not working.
There going to be Slaughtered in this Election like Labour the last time finished
It would appear that having a ‘green’ party in our government is a waste of votes.
Government gets a resounding Z- for the way it is running the people who keep this Country afloat day by day into the ground trying to keep up with hyper greed and the sadistic cost of surviving.
The only emergency we have is one of unrelenting amount propaganda. To control people first make them afraid. Remember the two words we heard over the last few years non stop about another emergency, ” safe and effective “, turns out it was neither. Our current government are an absolute disgrace.
Put a right wing greenwashing party in power and of course things don’t get better.
But a lot of rich property owners got government handouts and lower energy bills, so Eamo’s base in South Dublin is happy.
Heartening to read the opinion poll in yesterday’s independent, only 10 per cent, think that climate change is an important issue, and the greens are on course to win only 1seat in the next Dail.
Why is comment section closed concerning article by Francis Noel Duffy a Green TD who paints a picture of the fantastic work of the Greens in government. Of the fantastic relationship between FFG and Greens and how his wife who is a minister is doing a fantastic job…Think they maybe more than a few who would disagree with Duffy…If the comment section was open. Is it the case the Journal wishes to protect Duffy in the Never Never wonderland he occupies .
Bikes.
Cycle lanes look well all the same cost a fortune but they are nice
The climate change agenda is a scam. Our politicians are traitors. If they really believed that man made carbon was causing climate change private air travel would be banned straight away. Every measure they announce benefits the world elites and puts more restrictions on ordinary people’s freedom.
Never enough with these clowns
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