Climate Action Plan launched today.

Climate Action Plan launched today.

Green Party TD for Waterford, Marc Ó Cathasaigh says that “We must take this opportunity to live up to the expectations of our young people”, as the Climate Action Plan is launched today.

Green Party TD for Waterford, Marc Ó Cathasaigh says that “We must take this opportunity to live up to the expectations of Ireland’s young people who have clearly asked us to take action on climate change in order to safeguard their futures.” He was speaking after the launch of the Climate Action Plan which has been described as the most detailed and ambitious in the history of the state. The plan sets out a roadmap for Ireland with the targets and measures necessary to meet our commitments to halve our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050.

“Our young people have stepped up and taken to the streets demanding that we take the measures needed to avert the worst impacts of climate breakdown. They have done this because they know it’s their future that’s at stake. Extreme heatwaves, droughts and flooding are already making parts of our world uninhabitable and we have seen extreme weather events in Northern Europe and at home here in Ireland in the last year alone. Without action now, the reality of the future facing our young people becomes unthinkable.”

We know what has to be done, and Ireland’s Climate Action Plan is the roadmap which sets out the actions across every sector of our society that will get us to a zero carbon future and will help us halt global warming. It is an ambitious plan but now is the time for ambition.”

“There will be challenges ahead and it won’t be easy. The route we have to take will profoundly shift how we live our lives, how we travel and how we work. However, the time is now for action and the cost of inaction is too high. The changes we will make will also bring about a better future for Ireland with cleaner air and water, warmer homes, reduction in waste and throw away culture and a thriving economy with significant growth in green jobs”

“We have taken the lead here in Waterford, with ambitious plans for Ireland’s oldest city to become Ireland’s first Carbon Neutral City by 2040. There are opportunities ahead for our county, a county which can rise to the challenge ahead and seize those opportunities. By taking action now we can build a new and a better Ireland, a new and better Waterford.”

The Climate Action Plan and an infographic booklet are available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/6223e-climate-action-plan-2021/