Friends of the Earth criticises Irish Policy on Earth Day

22nd of April Sees World's First "true" Carbon Budget

In the UK today Chancellor Alistair Darling will announce a legally-binding carbon budget alongside his financial budget. This is a requirement under the Climate Change Law that was passed in Westminster last October. The UK Government now proudly claim these Carbon Budgets as an example of the UK's international leadership on climate. John Gormley's annual carbon "budgets" differ from those in the UK in a couple of ways. The Irish Carbon "Budgets" are retrospective, more like a report on what happened the previous year, and they are not legally binding.

Speaking on Earth Day about the UK Carbon Budgets, Molly Walsh Friends of the Earth Policy Officer said "This is what a real Carbon Budget looks like. The Carbon Budgets we have here are contained in the program for government but they are not strong enough. The measures proposed in them do not reflect the urgency of the approaching climate crisis and they are not legally binding. Gormley needs to use his power in the government to, do what his party wants, and put in place a long-term, legally binding commitment on climate change. He needs to do a Climate Law."

The Climate Change Law in the UK that requires the Carbon Budgets is strongly supported by the British employers organisation CBI. The CBI believe it is an esseintal idea to have a Carbon Budget as part of a Main budget. Business knows it needs to invest heavily to get us on a trajectory to achieve our low carbon reductions. But it stands no chance of doing that if it doesn't have certainty about where government policy is going forward. Independent carbon budgets give that framework of certainty that will encourage green business investment.

 

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