Latest CO2 report shows emissions have never been higher- Radical actions urgently needed to combat climate catastrophe
Climate Emergency Bill to ban further fossil fuel licences now more important than ever along with other climate mitigation measures- transport, retrofitting of homes, tax oil and gas companies
People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith has said that the most recent report released from the World Meteorological Organisation is extremely concerning and now following the IPCC report and the Living Planet Report which showed that we are facing an ecological disaster if we do not take radical measure to fight climate change.
The WMO report showed that greenhouse gas emissions have now reached record levels.
The report showed that in 2017 Co2 levels rose to above 405ppm (parts per million). Co2 levels are now well above pre-industrial levels and are going up.
Deputy Smith pointed out that this was the reason why she proposed the Climate Emergency Measures Bill which would ban the issuing of licences for fossil fuel drilling if the level of carbon in the atmosphere exceeded 350ppm.
She said that the time for radical action form the Irish government was now.
She said:
“This report from the WMO is the latest in a long line of reports like the IPCC report and the Living Planet Report which show that human activity and the burning of fossil fuels is simply destroying our environment and the natural world.
“Only this week the new Minister for Climate Action Richard Bruton admitted that Ireland is now in an even worse position than last year regarding our Co2 emissions. This is outrageous and shows up all the government rhetoric on climate action.
“It is clear that we are standing on the precipice of ecological and environmental disaster. The government now need to have the bottle to implement emergency measures to combat what is the gravest issue facing the planet and one that could result in the sixth great extinction.
“One measure that I have been calling for, and now which come sharply into focus because of this WMO report is the People Before Profit Climate Emergency Bill. This bill must be passed without delay and Ireland must stop the issuing of new licences for fossil fuels- this is a minimum.
“We also need to urgently start a home retrofitting programme; we need to introduce free public transport and increase the state subvention to transport so that we can get more people into busses and out of cars. We need to invest massively in renewables and we need to tax the profits of the fossil fuel companies.”
