The draft Programme for Government published yesterday January 15th shows a worrying shift away from the necessary momentum and action to address our climate and biodiversity crises and provide for a sustainable society, according to the Environmental Pillar. The actions Government takes over the next five years will be pivotal in determining whether we will meet our climate responsibilities or reverse biodiversity loss.
“The clock is ticking, Ireland cannot afford to tread water or worse, backslide, in our efforts to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and restore nature. This draft Programme for Government does not give us any confidence that the incoming Government is committed to tackling the very serious challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss,” says Karen Ciesielski, Environmental Pillar Coordinator.
The failure to maintain the modest 2:1 spending in favour of new public transport versus new roads is a mistake and will lead to increased emissions.
Karen Ciesielski says: “In our manifesto, the Environmental Pillar called for a ratio of at least 5:1 with at least 20% of the capital spend on transport to go on active travel. The concentration on roads in the programme for government is a retrograde step, which will only lead to increased car use, congestion and rising emissions.”
The Environmental Pillar also says it is concerned that the clause that says the Government will take all necessary action to ensure and protect Ireland’s energy security could open the door for an LNG facility in the Shannon landbank in North Kerry.
Dr. Aoife Ní Lochlainn, Policy and Advocacy Manager at the Environmental Pillar says: “As part of the move to clean, renewable and fossil-free energy, the next Government should keep Ireland free of fracked gas and LNG imports by introducing a permanent ban in legislation and not permitting new infrastructure that prolongs our dependence on fossil fuels.”
While the Environmental Pillar has always said that farmers and landowners should be supported in measures they take to protect and enhance biodiversity, the pledge to assign funds from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund to the agricultural sector without any corresponding solid and measurable commitments in terms of nature restoration or biodiversity enhancements is very concerning.
Dr Elaine McGoff, Environmental Pillar Member and Head of Advocacy with An Taisce, says: “In contrast to very clear commitments for more public money for various farm activities, the programme is vague in committing funding to farmers for nature restoration. Without new and additional funding, farmers won’t have the support they need to restore nature.
“In addition,the commitment to make the case at EU level to secure the retention of the Nitrates Derogation is problematic given the huge issues we have with water quality.”
Also, the failure to include the environmental sector in consultations to update and introduce a new food strategy to succeed Food Vision 2030 would indicate that the next government is content to continue to court the large agri-business sector rather than support sustainable food and farming, the Environmental Pillar says.
While the programme committed to develop Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan with prioritisation of restoration actions on State lands, it makes no mention of semi-State lands.
Oonagh Duggan, Head of Advocacy at BirdWatch Ireland and a member of the Environmental Pillar says: “Semi-State bodies are among the largest landowners in the country, they should be models of best practice and manage their lands for nature restoration and climate obligations. Lands owned by semi-State bodies should also be included for nature restoration.
“It is also hugely disappointing that there is no commitment to legislation on Marine Protected Areas given that legislation was very advanced in the previous Dáil. Promises to review and strengthen conservation measures for marine ecosystems and wildlife, expand Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)and establish wildlife sanctuaries are no substitute for this much needed legislation.”
The programme’s commitment to allowing an increase in the number of data centres without an independent national review of current and projected data centre energy demand is also disappointing.
The clause to work with stakeholders to achieve our objective of lifting the passenger cap at Dublin airport as soon as possible smacks of interference in the planning system and shows little regard for dealing with emissions from the aviation sector.
Environmental Pillar Steering Committee Member and ecological economist working for Feasta, the Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability, Caroline Whyte says: “This unambitious and vague Programme for Government promises nothing more than business as usual. Its apparent indifference to environmental risks is highly reckless, but also unsurprising, given the Programme’s retrograde stance. It repeatedly vaunts economic growth as a Holy Grail, while environmental and social protections are deprioritised. The Irish Wellbeing Framework, with its nuanced approach to measuring prosperity, does not get a single mention in the Programme, and nor does the proposed Future Generations Commission, which would support long-term thinking as opposed to ephemeral short-term economic goals. Instead, the Programme presents us with a dangerously myopic, shallow and crimped vision of progress.”
Colin O’Byrne, Environmental Pillar Member and Project Manager with VOICE of Irish Concern for the Environment says: “In comparison to the ‘Our Shared Future’ PFG in 2020, which set out a path towards a more circular economy through policy changes, this document appears to be doing the very minimum required of the government and does not show any great ambition towards increasing circularity in Ireland. This Programme for Government would appear to be at best spinning the wheels on a circular economy rather than growing this area.”
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