Stop Climate Chaos welcomes the Minister’s commitment to amend Climate Bill

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scc_logo_highresStop Climate Chaos welcomed the statement by Minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly TD, that he will bring forward amendments to the Government’s Climate Bill. The Minister was speaking during the Committee Stage debate, where the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill passed without amendment. Several opposition amendments were withdrawn following assurances from the Minister he will consider the issues raised by TDs ahead of the next stage in the Dáil.

Commenting, Ciara Kirrane, Coordinator of Stop Climate Chaos Coordinator, said

“The Minister’s commitment to amending the Climate Bill is welcome. Now we need to see his proposed changes. The final Bill needs to make clear how much we’ll reduce emissions by 2050, guarantee the independence of the Advisory Council, and ensure Ireland pursues the principle of climate justice.”

Before the Committee’s debate Stop Climate Chaos presented the Minister with a petition from more than 5,000 people calling on him to bring forward amendments that would strengthen the Climate Bill and to ensure it is passed into law before the summer recess. Continue reading “Stop Climate Chaos welcomes the Minister’s commitment to amend Climate Bill” →

This could be our last chance to fix the Climate Bill

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In less than a week’s time the Climate Bill will go through another crucial stage in the Dáil. This is make or break…. It could be the last chance we have to fix the Bill before it becomes law. Tell Minister Alan Kelly you want to see the amendments he promised now.

The Minister has told the Dáil he is considering possible amendments to the Bill. We need to make sure the changes he makes are the right ones, by clearly indicating how much we plan to reduce emissions by 2050, by ensuring that the independence of the Expert Advisory Council is explicitly guaranteed and by committing to climate justice as a guiding principle.

Last week UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon urged Ireland to do more to tackle climate change. He called on Ireland to “align its climate effort with its admirable engagement on hunger”. It’s time fo r the Minister to step up to this challenge. Ask Alan Kelly to strengthen the Climate Bill and keep his promise to have the Bill passed into law before the summer break.

It’s almost three months since the draft law was first debated in the Dáil and we’re still waiting for the Government’s proposed changes. Time is ticking and the crucial UN summit in Paris is now less than six months away. Countries like Ireland, with high emissions and higher historical responsibility, have to demonstrate a credible commitment to climate action if we are to build the trust required for a global deal in Paris.

The only thing that has kept the Climate Bill on track to become law at all is the continuous pressure from campaigners like you. We need one last push to make it a climate law we can be proud of. Please sign the petition now and share it with your friends.

Afri is a member of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition. For more about Stop Climate Chaos, visit their website here.

Government rejects calls to change Climate Bill as it passes Second Stage

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scc_logo_highresStop Climate Chaos has today expressed deep disappointment at the government’s refusal to take on board concerns about the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill, which today passed Second Stage. This is the first time a Bill designed to tackle climate change has passed Second Stage.

Commenting this evening, Ciara Kirrane, Coordinator of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, said:

“We are deeply disappointed at the government’s unwillingness to listen to concerns expressed not only by Stop Climate Chaos but by their own party colleagues. Fine Gael and Labour backbenchers have voiced their concerns with aspects of the Bill in the Dáil in recent weeks but the Minister’s statement today clearly shows that none of these issues will be addressed.

“The Government is also ignoring the advice from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. Seven of the ten proposals made by the Committee which require changes to the Bill have been disregarded by Government.

“These include some of the most important proposals for actually tackling climate change, such as a long term emissions reduction target and an independent advisory council. Minister Kelly has argued that setting national targets would interfere with the EU process but this just doesn’t stand up. Other member states have managed to pass climate laws with long-term targets, the most recent of which is Finland which passed a climate law earlier this month with an 80% emissions reduction target for 2050. If the Government is going to reject such important recommendations they must find a stronger rational for doing so.”

As the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill now progresses to Committee Stage Stop Climate Chaos is hopeful that amendments that will strengthen the Bill will be accepted by government. Continue reading “Government rejects calls to change Climate Bill as it passes Second Stage” →

Stakeholders accuse the Government of double standards on the Climate Bill

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Press Release

Climate Bill needs Targets

Stop Climate Chaos, a coalition of environmental, development and faith-based organisations, has today said the Government is operating double standards when it comes to the draft climate legislation. The Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, tasked with consulting and reporting on the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill before it goes through the Houses of the Oireachtas, is failing to provide stakeholders and the public with an inclusive and transparent process.

Stop Climate Chaos, as well as some members of the Committee, has been calling for the publication of the submissions received by the Committee at the end of April, a request that has been flatly rejected by the Chair of the Committee. With the hearings due to be held in two weeks time, there is no indication of who will be invited to present to the Committee or what their proposals are. Continue reading “Stakeholders accuse the Government of double standards on the Climate Bill” →

Climate Bill Not Strong Enough to Stop Climate Chaos Affecting Most Vulnerable

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Press Release

Justice and peace organisation, Afri, today called the government publication of the heads of a Climate Bill as deeply disappointing as it fails to meet key requirements for the effective tackling of climate change.

Afri is a member of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition which has repeatedly called on the government to publish a strong bill which has legally binding emission reduction targets, five-year carbon budgets that meet up to these targets; carbon targets to be met domestically, without purchasing overseas carbon credits, and the establishment of an independent climate change commission to advise Government, with the power to publish its own reports. Continue reading “Climate Bill Not Strong Enough to Stop Climate Chaos Affecting Most Vulnerable” →

Six Tests for the Government’s Climate Change Bill

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Friends of the Earth Press Release

Friends of the Earth today launched an analysis of what stakeholders think are the key elements of effective climate legislation. Last week the Government delayed the publication of its draft climate Bill by two weeks. The environmental justice organisation launched its “Six Tests for the Government’s Climate Change Bill” to coincide with a briefing for TDs in Leinster House on the threat of climate change locally and globally.

Speaking before the event, Friends of the Earth Director, Oisin Coghlan said:

“The Government seems unsure of the merits of its own Bill and has delayed publication. In the interests of clarity and fairness we’re laying out today the six things stakeholders have identified as essential to an effective climate law”

“Many of them appear in the Labour Party Bill from 2009 and the All-party Bill from 2010. They have the backing not only of environmental organisations but many overseas aid agencies and the Irish Corporate Leaders on Climate Change”.

The six tests and who supports them are as follows:

1. Is there a 2050 target? Is it 80%?

Supported by:

Friends of the Earth Stop Climate Chaos Environmental Pillar Irish Corporate Leaders on Climate Change Labour Party Bill 2009 All-Party Bill 2010 FF/Green Bill 2010

2. Are there interim targets? Are they “Carbon Budgets”?

Supported by:

Friends of the Earth Stop Climate Chaos Environmental Pillar Corporate Leaders

Labour Party Bill All-Party Bill

3. Is there an independent expert advisory council?

Supported by:

Friends of the Earth Stop Climate Chaos Environmental Pillar Corporate Leaders

Labour Party Bill All-Party Bill FF/Green Bill

4. Does the Bill place overall responsibility for climate policy on the Taoiseach? (Or move climate from the Dept of Env. to Dept of Energy?)

Supported by:

Labour Party Bill Corporate Leaders All-Party Bill Friends of the Earth

5. Does the Bill provide for a limit on the use of carbon credits (offsets)?

Supported by:

Friends of the Earth Stop Climate Chaos Environmental Pillar Corporate Leaders

Labour Party Bill All-Party Bill FF/Green Bill

6. Does the Bill cover emissions from the whole economy (including ETS)?

The proposal that the 2050 target cover the whole economy is supported by:

Friends of the Earth Stop Climate Chaos Environmental Pillar Corporate Leaders

Labour Party Bill All-Party Bill FF/Green Bill

That this should also apply to interim targets is emphasised by

Friends of the Earth Environmental Pillar FF/Green Bill

 

Notes

1. Friends of the Earths analysis – “Six Tests for the Government’s Climate Change Bill” can be downloaded here: http://www.foe.ie/download/pdf/6_tests_for_the_governments_climate_change_bill.pdf

2. The speakers at today’s briefing in Leinster House (at 1pm in the AV room) are Robin Hanan, Director of the European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland, Ciara Kirrane, Trócaire’s Environmental Justice Policy Officer, and Molly Walsh, Policy and Campaigns Manager, Friends of the Earth. The briefing is being hosted by Brian Stanley TD, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on the Environment.

3. The Irish Corporate Leaders Communiqué on climate legislation can be downloaded here.

Is Labour about to cave on Climate Change Bill?

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Press Release from Friends of the Earth

Hogan’s Bill with no targets and no independent council going to Cabinet today 

Friends of the Earth has reacted with astonishment to media reports that Minister Hogan is bringing a Climate Change Bill to Cabinet today (Tuesday) with no targets and no independent advisory council. The environmental campaigning organisation expressed its disbelief that Labour ministers would sign-off on a Bill that was so far removed from the Bill the party developed and championed in the last Dáil.

Commenting on developments, Oisin Coghlan, Friends of the Earth Director, said:

“A Climate Change Bill with no targets and no independent advisory council is simply pointless. What’s more, Labour ministers know that.

“Just four years ago Eamon Gilmore and Pat Rabbitte launched a Labour Climate Bill with long-term and interim targets, an independent advisory council and which made the Taoiseach responsible for climate policy. Are Labour ministers really going to sign-up now for a Bill with none of those elements?” Continue reading “Is Labour about to cave on Climate Change Bill?” →