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The
Green Party has welcomed the surprise ending to the United Nations
Climate Change negotiations in Montreal, Canada. At the eleventh
hour the United States has agreed to participate in future
discussions on climate change.
According
to Reuters the 157 countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol
agreed to start “a process to consider further commitments” for
developed nations beyond 2012, when a first phase of curbs on
greenhouse emissions runs out. Officials will meet in May 2006 to
discuss ideas for moving forward.
Green
Party Environment spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD
said that, “It is great to have the United States on board.
Although they are a major emitter, they also have the potential to
offer solutions to climate change. It looks like Bill Clinton’s
address, along with the backlash in the United States to the Bush
policies, changed the US delegation’s stance. It is also
interesting to note that big business in the US put pressure on the
American delegation to get on board.
The business community there clearly sees the potential for
economic gain in tackling climate change.”
“Here
at home we want to see the Government move beyond token gestures on
climate change. The Green Party is calling on the Irish Government
to:
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Update
the Building Regulations to ensure new homes are built to higher
energy standards;
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Increase
funding for public transport so that people have the choice of
leaving the car at home;
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Invest
more in renewable energy such as wind turbines to reduce our
dependency on oil; and
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Improve
planning so that jobs and amenities are provided closer to where
people live.
“Ireland
is ranked 28 out of 29 countries for greenhouse gas emissions
according to the European Environmental Agency’s State of the
Environment Report published last week. We’ve got to get our own
house in order. We can’t just buy our way out of this by setting
up a Carbon Fund. We need Government action to reduce emissions,
rather than letting Irish taxpayers pick up the bill. Last week the
Minister for the Environment Dick Roche TD said that carbon taxes
are not the way forward. Clearly the Minister is in denial on this
crucial global issue.”
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CiaranCuffe.com