CHINA IS providing a model of how countries should foster a green economy, former Irish president Mary Robinson has said.
Mrs Robinson cited an article in the New York Timesfrom its columnist Tom Friedman last year who said the Chinese decision to invest in green technologies was the "21st-century equivalent of the Soviet Union's 1957 launch of Sputnik".
China is a world leader in the manufacture of solar panels and research into carbon capture, the process of burning coal while not emitting greenhouse gases.
Mrs Robinson is returning to Ireland at the end of the year to set up the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, which is attached to Trinity College Dublin.
She said a real test of climate justice would be the manner in which the developed world allowed those living in poor countries to develop their economies in a sustainable way.
She cited the example of India where solar lighting and solar-powered mobile phones are available to the poor.
“We need public-private partnerships that generate new zero-emission technologies that are accessible to all,” she said.
“A climate justice approach means the development and transfer of low carbon, affordable and appropriate technologies are scaled up to reach low income households as well as countries as a whole.”
She hoped her new foundation for climate justice would help to raise awareness of technologies which are coming on stream which could help people in developing countries.
She told the Trinity International Development Initiative that there was still a misconception that climate change is something that will happen in the future when around the world developing countries are already being affected by it.
Mrs Robinson added that countries were already experiencing erratic weather conditions which were leading to drought and famine.
Speaking at the event, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan said the Government will be able to show in the forthcoming budget that it is still committed to Ireland’s overseas development programme.
He praised the Government in the UK which recently announced a rise in its development aid budget even while it was announcing cuts elsewhere.
However, Mr Ryan did not rule out that there would be further cuts in Ireland’s development aid budget which amounted to €671 million this year.
ROBINSON FOUNDATION CLIMATE AGENCY FOR DUBLIN
FORMER IRISH president Mary Robinson believes climate change is the greatest threat to human rights we have seen.
She has been based in New York for the last five years, but is coming home next month to head up the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice (MRF-CJ). Its offices will be in South Leinster Street in Dublin.
The activities of the foundation will begin in earnest in early January when UN and EU adviser on climate change Dr Tara Shine takes up her role as head of research and development.
The foundation’s chief executive will be Mrs Robinson’s former special adviser Bride Rosney. Both women will be working on a pro bono basis.
Ms Rosney said the foundation will be funded by a number of philanthropic agencies most notably the Rockefeller Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in the United States and The One Foundation in Ireland.
Ms Rosney said they do not intend to employ more than five or six full-time employees, but its advisers will include former US vice-president Al Gore.
“It’s tough out there raising funds, but we are doing relatively okay,” she said.
“We will be publishing an annual report and it will be very transparent. We will give a full account of all the monies raised.”
