Taoiseach to make plea for 'comprehensive' climate change deal in Paris talks
Taoiseach Enda Kenny is expected to pledge his support for an “ambitious and comprehensive” deal on climate change when he joins world leaders in Paris later today.
Delivering Ireland’s national statement to the United Nations’ convention, Mr Kenny will also urge agreement on limiting the rise in global temperatures and appeal for countries to make the transition to a low carbon, climate-resilient future.
He will also outline a policy framework aimed at tackling the spectrum of global environmental issues and set out Ireland’s support for developing countries struggling to adapt to the effects of climate change and making the transition to low-carbon development.
The 21st conference of the parties (known as Cop21) is due to open this morning and negotiations are expected to run for two weeks.
Central to an agreement will be efforts to limit global temperature increases to less than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Next year, individual targets for EU Member States will be agreed within the overall EU target.
Last year Irish Aid provided €34m to help countries in sub-Saharan Africa adapt to climate change and transition to low carbon development.
On Sunday environmentalists staged demonstrations across Ireland demanding action.
Hundreds of people took part in rallies in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast.
Stop Climate Chaos spokesman Oisin Coghlan said people needed leadership.
“(The Taoiseach) should be in no doubt that Ireland is mobilising for an energy revolution, one that leaves behind dirty fossil fuels and embraces clean, renewable, community-owned energy.”
Meanwhile James Orr, Friends Of The Earth Northern Ireland director, told protesters in Belfast that the Paris summit was the “most decisive event in the history of humanity”.
He said: “Unless we act in 2016 to reverse global warming, we are staring into the face of global genocide.”
