7th July 2004

PRESS RELEASE

Green Party call for policy changes as Ireland’s Emissions Plan is approved by European Commission

The Green Party has called on the Irish Government to take the lead in reducing Climate Change emissions after the European Commission approved Ireland's national emission trading plan.

“The Government’s Emissions Trading Plan is little more than a ‘business as usual approach’ to climate change. Ireland’s per capita emissions of carbon dioxide are the highest in the EU and the Government should be doing more to limit and reduce emissions’, stated Ciarán Cuffe the Green Party’s Planning spokesperson.

“Ireland should introduce a carbon tax, and use the monies raised to reduce taxes on labour, increase social welfare, and set up a clean technology fund.A similar strategy has already worked in Germany.”

“We are urging the government to divert transport funding from roads into public transport;to give more encouragement to timber-frame construction instead of cement; and to provide more support for renewable energy instead of peat-burning plants.

“More of Ireland’s future carbon quota should have been publicly auctioned, rather than allocated for free to existing users. This represents a license to pollute being given away for free. Big business is set to benefit and domestic consumers will end up paying through increased prices.”