Taoiseach offers litte more than 'fudge and dodge' in Paris

Taoiseach calls for global climate action but offers mostly 'fudge and dodge' from Ireland

Reacting from Paris to the Taoiseach's address to the UN Climate Confernence, Oisin Coghlan, Director of Friends of the Earth said:

"Beyond the opening aspirations the Taoiseach's speech offered fudge and dodge rather than firm action to make those aspirations a reality.

"He devoted a chunk of his speech to trying to dodge pollution targets that would place any future limit on the agri-industry's voracious expansion plans.

''And on climate finance what sounded like an increase was actually a fudge. The €175 million promised over the next 5 years is no more than exisiting Irish Aid spending repeated into the future.

''There was no concrete pledge to the Green Climate Fund beyond the €2 million promised for 2016. To reach the EU average Ireland would need to commit €45 million over four years but the Taoiseach came to Paris empty-handed after Ministers Kelly and Noonan could not agree how to raise it.

"The Taoiseach may have sounded convinced of the need for climate action globally but, when it came to Ireland, ultimately he offered the semblance of action rather than the substance.

"The Government he leads will complete its five year term without having produced an action plan to meet our 2020 targets.

"Ironically, the Climate Bill that will be passed into law on Thursday will make it illegal for the next Government to be so delinquent."

Notes

1. The Taoiseach's speech in online here.

2. Friends of the Earth's pre-speech press release is here.