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Ireland ranked worst in Europe for tackling climate action for second year in a row

IRELAND has been ranked the worst country in Europe on taking action to tackle climate change for the second year in a row, as a recent article on Independent.ie reports. As the article states:

“The 2019 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), launched at the UN climate talks in Poland, places Ireland 48th from 56 countries worldwide.

While up one place from last year the index, compiled by Germanwatch and the NewClimate Institute, ranks countries responsible for 90pc of global greenhouse emissions.

It takes into account emissions, renewable energy, energy use and climate policy.

Performance is based on assessments by NGOs and think tanks from the respective countries, to assess if nations are taking adequate action to limit global warming to below 2C by 2100, as set out in the Paris Climate deal.

National pledges to reduce emissions put the planet a 3C warming path, so the top three places of the CCPI are left unoccupied.

In relation to Ireland, the index says it remains within a group of “very low performing countries”.

“The performance in the greenhouse gas emissions category is rated very low and the country is also occupying a spot among the low-ranking performers in the energy use category,” it says.

On renewable energy, it is rated medium given that the share of renewables in electricity generation is rising and support schemes in these areas “recognise the value” of community participation.

The national experts also commended politicians for banning state investment in fossil fuel companies after deciding to pass the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill, and for the Citizens Assembly which set out measures to tackle climate.

“However, existing climate mitigation efforts will not enable Ireland to achieve either its EU 2020 or 2030 targets domestically. The long-standing lack of implementation of substantive measures to put the country on a well-below-2C pathway results in a very low rating for Ireland’s national policy performance,” it added.”

Clodagh Daly, who represented Climate Case Ireland at the climate talks in Katowice, commented that:

“This report highlights the gap Minister Bruton has to close between his new rhetoric on climate change and reality of Ireland’s approach to climate action.”

“His ministerial colleagues don’t seem to have got the memo. Minister Bruton has successfully raised expectations in recent weeks, but as yet he hasn’t taken actions that will actually lower our emissions.”

Sweden, Morocco and Lithuania lead the ranking. Almost half of the G20 countries are in the group of very low performers including Japan (49), Turkey (50), Russian Federation (52), Canada (54), Australia (55), Korea (57) and – at the bottom of the index – USA (59) and Saudi Arabia (60).