Cross-party consensus on climate change

[thebrom]

Speaking following yesterday’s Dáil statements on climate change, the TD for Carlow / Kilkenny said the recent clichés and lack of informed debate only proved the opposition’s ignorance of the issues involved.

Deputy White said: “Having listened to both Fine Gael and Labour go to great lengths to show that they know little and have little to contribute, yesterday’s debate only cements the Green Party’s position in this Government. Both parties seem to have forgotten the major steps that the Government has made in tackling the causes of climate change.

“The introduction of building regulations to improve our energy efficiency, the delivery of a carbon budget, a new emissions-based VRT and motor tax system and the upcoming ban on incandescent light bulbs seem to have passed by the opposition in the Green’s first year in Government. Investment in renewable sources, an insulation grant scheme and tax incentives to encourage businesses to go green and therefore lower emissions, have been wilfully overlooked.

“Instead Phil Hogan and his colleagues prefer to complain about the Department of Environment’s climate change awareness campaign. For a party that tried to paint itself green at the last election, it is quite baffling that they are now willing to attack an all-encompassing programme, working across many sectors to bring about a fundamental shift in how we live our lives.

“By changing how we use energy now and by meeting our EU emissions targets we stand to save money, lower our emissions and become an energy-independent nation. I challenge the opposition to put forward their programme on tackling climate change and compare it to the Green Party’s record in our first year of Government.”

Are Fine Gael and Labour obstructing the important work taking place to tackle climate change? Should a cross-party approach proposed by John Gormley at the annual convention:

My friends, we know that we are still a long way from achieving that society, but let's examine this evening what we have achieved already in government in a very short space of time. You all know that when we made that momentous decision to enter government, our primary motivation was a desire to tackle the defining issue of our age – climate change. We knew that all of the scientific evidence was now showing that we had a ten-year window of opportunity to stabilise CO2 emissions globally, and that this required a major policy shift, a change in attitude, a new way of political thinking, a new generosity, a new sense of partnership. We set up the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Change and we gave the Chair of that Committee to a member of the Opposition. We appointed members of other opposition parties to key positions on State Boards dealing with this issue because, frankly, these individuals were the best people for the job and because climate change is far too important to play politics with.

This evening I appeal to members of the Opposition to reciprocate that generosity, put away the petty squabbling and the cheap shots, forget the negative nonsense, and come on board and work with us in the best interest of this country and our planet. So, let us all agree on the targets and measures required to tackle climate change. It is vital that climate change now forms a part of social partnership discussions. We need to empower environmental NGOs to become part of social partnership and that is why, as Minister for the Environment, I tripled the funding for NGOs and made more money available for specific projects. The European Union has already set ambitious targets for the period leading up to 2020, and they may be even more ambitious if we get the expected break-through in Copenhagen next year.

There is so much to be done. But we know that, if we as a people put our minds to it, we can achieve anything. It means that as citizens, as workers, as employers and business people, as farmers, as voluntary organisations and NGOs, we all need to play our part.

I believe that our system of social partnership offers the opportunity for a new cross-sectoral approach complementing a strong political cross-party approach to tackle the greatest challenge of our time.

Let there be no doubt, we are working hard with our partners in government to achieve our objectives.

To those on this site with party affiliation with Fine Gael or Labour we say:
-This is far too serious an issue to get strangled in party bigotry. There should be a strong momentum from both sides of the house on this issue rather than getting tied down in slagging and local constituency motivated attacks.

[Pidge]

I like Labour, and generally the criticism has been constructive, or at least understanding. With Tuffy, I just don't get it. Anytime something positive happens, she feels the need to make trivial statements saying how it's all really rubbish.

Gilmore was great when he was environment spokesman, because he actually knew what he was talking about.

[thebrom]

I like Labour, and generally the criticism has been constructive, or at least understanding. With Tuffy, I just don't get it. Anytime something positive happens, she feels the need to make trivial statements saying how it's all really rubbish.

Gilmore was great when he was environment spokesman, because he actually knew what he was talking about.

Why can't we have the LibDems in opposition? Have a look at their front page:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/
We need the opposition to support us and pressure Fianna Fail to allow more support for renewable enterprise etc. Instead they're trying to block our efforts at every turn.

[wombat]

We need the opposition to support us and pressure Fianna Fail to allow more support for renewable enterprise etc. Instead they're trying to block our efforts at every turn.

You made your choice, live with it.

[SPN]

I was at a conference on Climate Change in Temple Bar a couple of months ago and there were speakers from each of the six main Parties.

Simon Coveney, Bairbre de Bruin, Fiona O'Malley, Tony Killeen, Eamon Ryan and Joanna Tufty.

They all agreed that Climate Change was a major problem, they all agreed that there are major problems coming down the line, and they all agreed that political leadership was urgently required if we are to make the necessary changes.

Then Joanna Tufty started waffling.

Whilst Simon Coveney did try and waffle for a while, in the end he conceded that "we need more forests and less cattle".

.... and Joanna Tufty kept on waffling.

It was painful to listen to.

[joemomma]

I like Labour, and generally the criticism has been constructive, or at least understanding. With Tuffy, I just don't get it. Anytime something positive happens, she feels the need to make trivial statements saying how it's all really rubbish.

I don't get it either. What were Labour thinking? Has she shown some interest in the environment in the past, or did they just draw the portfolios out of a hat? Surely there's somebody in the parliamentary party who could at least give the Greens something to think about. The way Tuffy whines on about everything is just tiring.

If Phil Hogan still environment spokesperson for FG?

[rockyracoon]

The present government and the Greens specifically have taken on the mantle of the environment. Fair dues to them. But they have also developed the annoying habit of claiming they "own" all environmental issues. It's as if no other party is allowed to talk about environmental issues without the Green's consent and within their stated guidelines. Therefore, it is the Greens who have created a parliamentary divide and often seem to need to lecture all others about correct environmental thinking.

If they're so concerned that politics is interfering with environmental issues then let them and all other parties declare such issues to be non-partisan. All subsequent legislation could then be drafted by cross-party bodies, including approval and implementation of EU directives, and easily passed through the legislature.

[joemomma]

The present government and the Greens specifically have taken on the mantle of the environment. Fair dues to them. But they have also developed the annoying habit of claiming they "own" all environmental issues. It's as if no other party is allowed to talk about environmental issues without the Green's consent and within their stated guidelines. Therefore, it is the Greens who have created a parliamentary divide and often seem to need to lecture all others about correct environmental thinking.

Anyone could tell Joanna Tuffy that she doesn't know what she's talking about. It just happens to fall to the Greens.

If they're so concerned that politics is interfering with environmental issues then let them and all other parties declare such issues to be non-partisan. All subsequent legislation could then be drafted by cross-party bodies, including approval and implementation of EU directives, and easily passed through the legislature.

This is what we've tried to do on climate change, with an Oireachtas Committee set up expressly for the purpose under Sean Barrett. How's that going?

[Pidge]

The present government and the Greens specifically have taken on the mantle of the environment. Fair dues to them. But they have also developed the annoying habit of claiming they "own" all environmental issues. It's as if no other party is allowed to talk about environmental issues without the Green's consent and within their stated guidelines. Therefore, it is the Greens who have created a parliamentary divide and often seem to need to lecture all others about correct environmental thinking.

Really? I've found nothing but happiness in the Greens when other parties take up environmental causes properly. Do you think that the party is bitter now that everyone is paying attention to climate change?

If they're so concerned that politics is interfering with environmental issues then let them and all other parties declare such issues to be non-partisan. All subsequent legislation could then be drafted by cross-party bodies, including approval and implementation of EU directives, and easily passed through the legislature.

That's right - and it's exactly what we've been trying to do.

Before the election: a push for everyone to adopt the necessary cuts in their manifestos. (Source)
Going into government: Foundation of an all-party committe on climate change, with a FG chair, and members from all parties and none. (Source)
Being in government: Gormley calls for cross-party formation of a singular policy on how to deal with climate change, and to put "away the petty squabbling and the cheap shots" because "climate change is far too important to play politics with". (Source)

We've done as you suggested.

[SPN]

The present government and the Greens specifically have taken on the mantle of the environment. Fair dues to them. But they have also developed the annoying habit of claiming they "own" all environmental issues. It's as if no other party is allowed to talk about environmental issues without the Green's consent and within their stated guidelines. Therefore, it is the Greens who have created a parliamentary divide and often seem to need to lecture all others about correct environmental thinking.

If they're so concerned that politics is interfering with environmental issues then let them and all other parties declare such issues to be non-partisan. All subsequent legislation could then be drafted by cross-party bodies, including approval and implementation of EU directives, and easily passed through the legislature.

In what alternative Universe did you come up with that thesis?

The Greens have NOT "specifically have taken on the mantle of the environment".

Eamon Ryan has been trying for years to get cross-party agreement on Energy Security and he keeps being slapped back with the farcical "we must be the opposition" line of balderdash.

The Greens would LOVE to get cross party agreement on a medium or long term strategy - and so would the business community - and once agreed, the permanent opposition can Grandstand all they like about whether the Government are, or are not, achieving the agreed strategy.

The real problem we have here is the opposition are beginning to realise how big the problem is, and just like Bertie realised 12 months ago, they realise that the Greens are the only ones with either a common-sense based plan to deal with the problem, or the cojones to make sure the plan gets implemented.

I joined the Greens in 2002 because I could see what was happening in the Energy Industry, and the Greens were the only Party with an intelligent Energy Policy that could get us out the other side in anything resembling a strategic way.

By 2006, all the Parties, from Sinn Fein to the PDs had cut and paste the Green Energy Policy into their own documents, but even today, can you really imagine Simon Coveney or Joanna Tufty being able to deliver what Eamon Ryan has delivered?

They only know how to parrot the soundbites - Eamon Ryan has chaired sessions at ASPO Conferences.

I don't care if the Greens are wiped out at the next election as long as the policies get implemented. We (Ireland) are in deep deep doodoo if we don't get ahead of the curve on Climate Change and Energy Security.

If Sweden and Denmark can do it, why can't Ireland?