Green Party launches plans to 'climate change proof' the National Development Plan

Press Release: Environment 5 January 2007

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FUTURE-PROOFING THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PLAN

5 January 2007

Green Party launches plans to 'climate change proof' the National Development Plan

The Green Party today launched ambitious plans to 'climate change proof' the National Development Plan and called on the Government to implement the changes to protect the country's environment and future economy, before it's too late.

Green Party Leader Trevor Sargent said: "We are launching this plan to show that the Green Party in Government will insist that any infrastructure we build today must also work in the new climate change future that we face.

"This Government's failure to tackle our Greenhouse Gas emissions now threatens our economy as well as the environment. By trying to buy our way out of our climate change commitments they are ignoring the first lesson in the Stern Report which shows that the sooner that real reductions are made, the better it is for our economy."

Green Party Energy spokesperson Eamon Ryan TD said :"We want to use this National Development Plan as a springboard which will turn Ireland to a new sustainable future. By 'climate change proofing' the plan we could create thousands of new green jobs as well as providing a better social and natural world for our people for decades to come.

"Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats are being dishonest with the Irish people in the way they are tackling climate change. They have refused to commit to the long term emission reductions in an attempt to cover up a crucial failure in their current policy. Buying our way out of our climate obligations might be possible at the moment, however our analysis shows that it could leave us with an annual carbon bill of up to one billion euro within a few short years."

Green Party Environment spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD said: "The time for change has come and the first priority for change has to be in our capital spending where we determine the future of our country. An honest review of the National Climate Change Strategy 2000 shows that the Government has reneged on almost every single policy commitment that they have made.

"We are setting out in our plan five investment areas where the National Development Plan has to be determined by climate change considerations. In building, planning, energy, transport and research and development we are proposing positive and practical measures which will help cut our emissions and also protect our economy. It will take a Green Party in Government to ensure that such Green thinking is actually delivered.

Green Party Finance spokesperson Dan Boyle TD said: "For the NDP to be a true national development plan there needs to be proper cost control and real economic analysis; factors sadly absent from the NDP presented in 2000 and what seems likely to be presented with the new 2007 – 2013 plan.

"That such cost control criticisms have been repeated on an ongoing basis by bodies such as the ESRI should, but probably won't, bring about a belated realisation that all costs met in meeting this country's still yawning infrastructural deficit have to be factored in, including and especially the huge uncounted environmental costs."

The Green Party is proposing the following to climate change proof the NDP:

Climate change proofing to be incorporated throughout the planning process;
Investment proposals to be checked they enhance 'adaptation' to a changing climate;
Climate change test to be included in all Environmental Impact Statements;
NDP transport budget to be switched to favour public transport;
A mandatory percentage bio-fuel requirement on all fuel oil suppliers;
Higher energy efficient building standards 60% lower than current regulations;
Promote the use of combined heat and power and solar and district heating systems;
Change to the Strategic Planning guidelines to favour a small number of cities outside Dublin;
Ensure green procurement guidelines on all NDP supply and work contracts;
Set aside 5% of the NDP for fund to support new low carbon products and technologies;
New smart electricity meters to be introduced in every home;
A 'Safe routes to school' programme for every school in the country.

Ciarán Cuffe is a TD for the Dún Laoghaire Dáil Constituency. Ciarán can be contacted at Dáil Éireann, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 or 96 Patrick Street, Dún Laoghaire Tel. 284 6060 or 618 3082, Fax 618 4341, Email Ciaran CiaranCuffe.com, or Text Ciaran on 087 265 2075.