KENNY RAISES DUBLIN BAY COASTAL FLOODING CONCERN DURING CLIMATE CHANGE BILL DEBATE

Posted on February 26, 2015 4:16 PM   |   Permanent Link   

Speaking on the Climate Action & Low Carbon Development Bill 2015

I recall watching the film "The Inconvenient Truth" by the US presidential candidate Al Gore a decade ago which clearly and scientifically identified the effects of Climate Change and global warming globally. The film sparked a debate on Climate Change at that time. Unfortunately, many interest groups particularly in the US went into denial about the effects of Climate Change globally at that time.

I believe now that a decade has been lost globally in taking world wide action to deal with Climate Change.
The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill before us sets out the national objective of transitioning to a low carbon, environmentally sustainable economy in the period up to and including the year 2050 - that is a framework intended to last for 35 years.

Three and a half decades is a long time. That is why this legislation provides for the preparation, and approval by the Government, of National Mitigation Plans, every 5 years, which will set out how our national greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced, in line with both existing EU legislative requirements and wider international commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

I think it is worth noting that each successive National Mitigation Plan will specify the policy measures that will be required to be adopted by each relevant Minister of the Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in sectors of society for which they are responsible. This will enable the entire Government of the day to move in a meaningful way towards the achievment of transitioning to a low carbon economy.

As Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions profile are predominantly made up of emissions from agriculture, transport, energy and the built environment, it is anticipated that it is in these sectors that most mitigation effort will be required.

In bringing forward this proposed national legislation, Ireland will also contribute - and be seen to contribute - its fair share of mitigation effort as part of global endeavours under the UNFCCC to limit the rise in average global temperature to no more than two degrees over the pre-industrial level. These endeavours, if successful, will globally benefit us all, but particularly developing countries, where lesser capacities to respond and adapt render them more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The Bill also deals with adaptation to climate change, in that it provides for the preparation, and approval by the Government, of successive National Climate Change Adaptation Frameworks which will outline the national strategy that will deal with this important issue.

On a related note, as the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere rises with historic emissions, adapting to the inevitable changes in climate in Ireland, such as an increased frequency of severe weather events, becomes critical. It is important to say that severe weather events are not just the heavy storms that seem to come sweeping in from the Atlantic Ocean with increasing frequency in Winter, nor is the warmer weather we seem to be starting to get. It is events such as localised flooding, that I have seen become more of a problem in my own constituency of Dublin Bay North, whether it is floods in Donnycarney or waves flooding the coast road at Clontarf, that must also be considered - and must be considered on a local and national basis.

In this regard, the National Adaptation Framework will set out those sectors, such as flood defence and the protection of communication and electricity infrastructure, which will be required to develop sectoral adaptation plans to prepare for and invest wisely to minimise the likely impacts of a changing climate and extreme weather events.

In conclusion, I think it is essential to point out that never in Ireland has specific climate change legislation been enacted. Enacting such legislation will not be of direct help to this generation - but it will be to future generations, and that is what is important when considering climate change as an issue.

I am proud to support this legislation, and I commend it to the House.