Climate change and Irish ‘action’

Our record is poor in the agricultural, transport and built-environment sectors

Sir, – Like many reading Kevin O’Sullivan’s report of the Global Ireland Summit in Dublin (News, October 24th), it wasn’t helpful to see Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan criticise the Saudi government for putting their huge cash resources into sport rather than into what he called " the climate crisis we have”.

An interesting turn of phrase, Minister, as that includes us, but especially bearing in mind where Ireland ranks globally; when last I looked, Ireland was 39th out of 57 countries on the Climate Change Performance Index in 2019, though we may have marginally improved our rating in the last four years.

Ireland may well have been the second country globally to call out a climate emergency in 2019, but our record is poor in the agricultural, transport and built-environment sectors.

Agriculture appears to be in denial, the built environment seems not to understand the challenges it faces and transport is a huge problem, though it is encouraging to see the Minister trying to tackle the airline industry, long overdue. Much more in these three sectors could, and should, be faced if our grandchildren are to survive in what’s being painted now as a harsh and difficult future environment.

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Even though the Government’s Climate Action Plan 2023 is there for all to see, it’s action that’s needed, not the criticism of other countries nor indeed the constant congratulatory stance by Government that it has signed up to this, that and the other new initiative, plan or proposal.

Words are fine but action is better. And as for action, all eyes will be on COP28 in the UAE next month. If we continue to fail to hit our climate targets, rather than banking those corporation tax and other profits as we’ve just done, we will be handing them all back in fines to the EU! Let’s hope the picture is a little clearer in the sunshine in Dubai ?

ALASTAIR CONAN,

Coulsdon, Surrey.