Invest at home or waste money overseas, advisory bodies tell Government

“The Government needs to go clean on energy and agriculture or come clean with taxpayers that they will have to pay to support corporate pollution and profit” says Friends of the Earth

Reacting to the report published today by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and the Climate Change Advisory Council that Ireland faces penalties of up to €26 billion if it fails to reduce pollution in line with limits agreed with EU partners, Friends of the Earth Chief Executive, Oisín Coghlan, said:

“The message from today’s report is clear and simple. Our new Government can invest at home right now to accelerate climate action or it can dally and delay and waste billions of euros of taxpayers’ money buying carbon credits overseas in a few years time.

“If the Government fails to act decisively the report estimates that the bill facing taxpayers could be as high as this year’s health budget, €26 billion, or 12 children’s hospitals. Does any minister or Government TD think it would make sense to give that money to Spain, Greece or Portugal to buy carbon credits rather than take action now at home?

“Imagine the benefits of investing in Ireland instead. Rapid, radical action would include warmer homes with lower energy bills for hundreds of thousands of families, including social and private tenants who are left out in the cold by current retrofitting schemes. It could include much more rural public transport and EV subsidies specifically for rural families. And yes more buses and bike lanes in our cities and towns. It could include solar panels not just on every school but on community and public buildings up and down the country.

“Even if the Government does everything in the Climate Action Plan, the report suggests we will still end up spending €8 billion overseas on carbon credits, more than four times the annual agriculture budget or 24,000 Dáil bike sheds. 

“That’s partly because this Government seems intent on doubling down on the expansion of very polluting industries, like data centres for big tech and livestock agriculture for export. 

“Data centres already gobble up 21% of our total electricity and are heading for 30% by 2030. That’s driving up fossil gas demand and pollution. Intensive agriculture for export is already the largest source of climate and water pollution in Ireland and is projected to be 40% of our climate pollution by 2030.

“Here’s the question for ministers. Are they saying Irish taxpayers have to fork out billions of euro in fines so Amazon can run it’s AI in Ireland and agri-business can sell more baby milk powder to China?

“The Government needs to go clean on energy and agriculture or come clean with taxpayers that they are going to make us to pay to support more corporate pollution and profit”.

Notes

1. The joint report of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and the Climate Change Advisory Council is online here: https://www.fiscalcouncil.ie/a-colossal-missed-opportunity/
2. The chair of both state advisory bodies, Seamus Coffey and Marie Donelly, where interviewed together on Morning Ireland this morning: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22493300/
3. Press coverage of the report here: RTE, Irish Times, Irish Independent, Irish Examiner.