Emissions and politics

Sir, – I wonder if your stories on rising transport emissions (“Ireland’s carbon emissions fell by 1.9 per cent last year but road transport rise undermined progress” (July 14th), and Fine Gael members being unhappy about cancelled road projects (“Fresh tensions emerge between Greens and Fine Gael over future road projects”, July 13th) are related?

When future historians write the story of how wealthy, high-emitting countries like Ireland were unable to translate aspirational statements about what is required into real action, it won’t be seen as a failure of science, technology or even economics. It’ll be seen purely as a lack of political leadership in the face of an ongoing crisis.

Until the leadership of large parties are prepared to unambiguously support and communicate the steps that are needed to decarbonise clearly to the public (and, seemingly, their own elected party members), and not just to “subcontract” this work out to the Green Party, then the usual “I’m all for reducing emissions, just not here” impulses are going to make it extremely hard to meet targets. – Yours, etc,

DAVE MATHIESON,