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Environment Committee

Inquiry into Climate Change

Submission to the Assembly Environment Committee
Climate Change Inquiry

Bairbre de Brun MEP

February 2009

Overview

Sinn Féin recognises the potentially disastrous impact of climate change on our environment and society. We believe that effectively tackling climate change brings opportunities as well as challenges.

In the Sinn Féin submission to the Programme for Government (PfG) we identified recommendations relating to a number of Departments on how to tackle Climate Change.

The Executive should commit to reducing our emissions by at least 30% from their 1990 level by 2020. The rate of reduction should be at least 3% per annum. There also needs to be periodic targets set by the Executive for the period leading up to 2020, and proposals made to compensate where emissions reductions targets have not been met.

The European Union has introduced a mandatory target of 20% renewable energy-use by 2020, and we should play our part in meeting that target. We believe that Ireland is well-placed to be at the centre of a new, green economy, if the political will exists, because of our potential abundance of wind and wave energy as well as our historic lack of heavy industrialisation compared to other developed countries. Sinn Féin also supports the use of biomass and solar energies as a part of our renewable energy production.

Sinn Féin supports waste to energy solutions where these involve production of electricity from Mechanical-Biological Treatment and Anaerobic Digestion processes in Combined Heat and Power plants, and do not involve incineration or other thermal waste treatment.

Within an all-Ireland framework, Sinn Féin also supports moves towards energy independence and decentralisation in energy production. We believe the Assembly Executive and the Irish Government should put renewable energy production at the heart of all-Ireland economic planning in order to allow a prosperous all-island economy to become a world leader in renewable energy production.

Underpinning this approach should be an integrated strategy across government departments and in conjunction with local councils, accompanied by targets, goals and monitoring mechanisms.

Initial commitments

Climate change is not just the major political challenge of our time; the worst impacts of climate change constitute a great social, environmental and economic threat. We cannot afford to fail in addressing the very real danger of climate change.

While much political attention is rightly focused on bringing down the emissions that cause climate change, we also need to work on adapting to climate change. Even if we agree strict new emission reduction standards, we will still need to deal with changing climate conditions for decades to come. We need to be prepared.

The Assembly has given its consent for the provisions of the Climate Change Act 2008 to apply to the North of Ireland. There is an opportunity through new local legislation and a new integrated Executive policy to take forward a strategic response to setting and meeting specific targets for the North of Ireland on reducing CO2 emissions and responding the economic challenges facing us.

A detailed integrated Executive strategy to setting out how we are going to meet our carbon emissions targets and adapt to Climate Change should spell out how each sector of the economy and society can contribute to reducing these emissions. The Scottish Climate Bill shows the direction that we can and should go, and we should take account of suggestions being made in Scotland for further strengthening of the Scottish legislation.

Sinn Féin believe the Executive could give a greater focus on a number of key areas, including:

The Executive needs to reassess its options for tackling rising energy demand, meeting energy efficiency and renewable energy targets and reducing CO2 emissions. A tremendous opportunity exists to put the production and use of renewable energy at the heart of the Executive economic development strategy.

Investing in new technologies and moving much more decisively to renewable energies as well as energy efficiency can create more jobs and lower energy bills. Renewable energy in particular could be developed in an all-Ireland energy market.

The Executive needs to be pro-active in its support for low carbon innovation. Actions can and should be taken across departments, including in the fields of enterprise and job creation, energy, transport, agriculture and land use, waste management, planning, tourism, fisheries and forestry, education and training and finance and investment. Closer co-operation and co-ordination between Departments is needed and between the relevant Assembly Committees.

I also strongly support the call for building regulations here to be revised to promote the use of renewable energy technologies.

International and European context

2009 is a key year in setting out the global response to Climate Change with the UN Conference in Copenhagen at the end of the year due to agree new targets and actions to tackle Climate Change.

The European Parliament Climate and Energy Package has also given effect to the targets set by the EU last year to have 20% renewable energy, 20% energy efficiency and a 20%-30% reduction in emissions relative to the 1990 level by 2020. This represents an unprecedented attempt to tackle the causes and consequences of climate change. Sinn Féin supports all measures at local, national, EU and indeed at global level through the UN climate talks which can set the necessary binding targets for CO2 reductions.

There are some very disappointing elements in the EU package such as the possibility for member states to export the majority of their emissions reductions actions to countries outside the EU and the complete failure to stand up to the automobile industry and impose strict reductions in CO2 emissions from passenger cars. On the other hand the measures on renewable energy and on fuel quality and the improvements to the Emissions Trading Scheme represent movement in the right direction.

Efforts to decarbonise the economy will offer significant business opportunities in the time ahead and we should introduce fiscal incentives to develop research into clean technologies.

The European Commission has announced, as part of its European Economic Recovery Plan that it will allow EU funds be used for energy-efficiency projects in low-income housing. This is something Sinn Féin argued strongly for. The Executive should make this part of their strategy to deal with fuel poverty and to tackle climate change.

Sinn Féin also believe that all investments and policies in Europe should be ‘disaster and climate proof’. We have recently seen a stark example of a lack of local disaster-proofing in Stoneyford where a housing estate, built on a flood plain, has experienced repeated serious flooding, making the houses uninhabitable. We have to ensure that preventative measures are in place and that protection structures are well maintained. We also need to have strong policy controls on where building takes place.

In 2007 the European Parliament set up a Temporary Committee on Climate Change, vested with a number of powers including to formulate proposals on the EU’s future integrated policy on climate change. It held a number of thematic sessions, and I was theme leader for the 8 thThematic Session "Achieving significant CO2 emission reductions in short time: learning from best practices regarding successful policies and technologies"

Amongst the best practices mentioned in the thematic session were efficiency measures such as retrofitting of houses and offices, more sustainable buildings, better traffic planning, more efficient lighting, re-using and re-cycling, more efficient use of water, increased public transport, walking and cycling, use of ICT to reduce travel and to improve the effectiveness of processes in industry, monitoring the carbon footprint of the business or municipality, and a move to renewables. There are administrative and motivational barriers to be overcome, but the overall effect of these measures is a positive financial gain, less CO2 emissions and a significant rise in employment.

I attach the report of that session, Working Document No 8 of the Temporary Committee on Climate Change, as an annex to this submission.

The concluding report of the European Parliament Temporary Committee on Climate Change emphasised that tackling climate change will help to create new jobs in new technologies, combat energy poverty and dependency on imported fossil fuel and provide social benefits for citizens. It also calls for a ‘climate audit’ so that EU budget lines can be adapted in line with the requirements of climate policy, as well as tackling the question of allocating unused existing EU funds for climate policies. The report, which has since been adopted by the whole parliament in a somewhat amended form, contains useful suggestions in a range of areas, which could provide a good starting point for discussion and policy-making. I therefore attach a copy of that report also, (Appendix I) the European Parliament resolution of 4 February 2009 on "2050: The future begins today – Recommendations for the EU's future integrated policy on climate change" ( 2008/2105(INI) )

Executive Action Plan on Climate Change

Binding domestic legislation which incorporates emission reduction targets can go some way to address the affects of climate change at home and throughout the world. A local Climate Change Bill with annual appraisals that places the emphasis on action at local and all-Ireland level would help deliver long term sustainable environmental development that positions climate change as a priority policy concern. Such a bill could also encourage initiatives involving unions and the workforce in negotiated green workplace agreements to cut carbon footprints.

Engaging with business as well as the public sector makes a lot of sense. Large companies can make changes not only to their own practices but, through engagement with subcontractors and suppliers, can influence the behaviour of SMEs also. They can also engage with their employees about lifestyle changes outside the workplace.

All public sector procurement, especially the Investment Strategy (ISNI) should have robust components built in to underpin targets for reducing CO2 emissions and respond to the impact of Climate Change.

As stated above, actions can and should be taken across departments, including in the fields of enterprise and job creation, energy, transport, agriculture and land use, waste management, planning, tourism, fisheries and forestry, education and training and finance and investment. Closer co-operation and co-ordination between Departments is needed and between the relevant Assembly Committees also.

In terms of adaptation to the climate change we already know will take place, we need to take account of the 2007 report of the Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research (SNIFFER) ‘Preparing for a Changing Climate in Northern Ireland’

Action needs to happen now and should not be left until the deadline for some of the longer-term targets looms. Actions should be incorporated into the priorities of the Departments and there should be annual assessments made of progress towards reaching those targets.

Targets

Sinn Féin proposes that both governments in Ireland set legally binding targets of reducing CO2 emissions by at least 80% on 1990 levels by 2050. The key to achieving this locally will be an agreed approach across all Stormont departments on how to build a low carbon economy. This will include promoting energy efficiency, better waste management, investing in renewable energy sources such as wind, tidal and solar, and expanding public transport.

Sinn Féin believes that the Executive should commit to reducing emissions by at least 30% from their 1990 level by 2020. The rate of reduction should be at least 3% per annum.

There need to be periodic targets set by the Executive for the period leading up to 2020. There needs to be detail about how we are going to meet carbon emission targets and how this will affect policy in different departments.

The Committee established under the Climate Change Act 2008 should also be asked for advice with regard to targets.

The Carbon Trust has set out a number of areas for action and Sinn Féin would broadly support these; including:

There should be a specific target for low carbon, good quality, well-insulated, energy efficient, affordable housing.

We should also use the expertise of other EU member states, through the cross-border, territorial or interregional programmes, through the EU Task Force and through the 2009 regional development OPEN DAYS in Brussels. We should also use the expertise gained to date in this field at local government level through the Interreg programme.

Green Cities

Cities are an obvious place where energy efficiency needs to be secured, and housing is a major area where this efficiency can be maximised. There should be a specific target for low carbon affordable housing, and this should apply to existing as well as new housing. High building standards should be set in regard to building new homes, with energy efficiency at the core. The same high standards should apply to new public buildings and other structures.

Reaching the targets set by the EU, known as the 20/20/20 targets, will require the development of more ‘Green Cities’. 80% of the EU's population live in cities or urban areas. Sustainable development models need to be applied to all urban planning.

Transport

In transport there area number of necessary shifts in policy which we need to get to grips with. Decades of underinvestment in our transport services mean a culture of car dependency has evolved. This dependency must be broken by providing efficient and sustainable public transport networks in cities, towns and rural areas.

We need to provide accessible, efficient and integrated public transport provision through increased investment in bus and rail network services in urban and rural communities across the north.

Cities and urban areas in the EU produce 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions in transport. Most city dwellers travel only relatively small distances each day yet many travel in private transport based on petroleum fuels. In an effort to reduce transport's burden on our environment, the EU as part of the climate package, passed a directive which will limit the CO2 emissions from cars.

The EU is also encouraging the use of green procurement with regard to local government vehicles. We must look at ways of facilitating the roll-out of such green procurement here.

A small company in a remote rural area of County Mayo in Ireland developed "Adaptive Intelligent Street Lighting" that allows for remote monitoring of electrical power consumption, individual control and monitoring of each street light and remote dimming capabilities depending on the amount of traffic. These have been installed worldwide, including Oslo, Paris and parts of Asia. Oslo has 10,000 intelligent street lights.

Energy Supply

In terms of energy, the question of security of energy supply is important to any economy and society. Self-sufficiency should be aimed for as much as practicably possible, and we should aim for decentralisation of the energy structure.

In Ireland's case this means the greatest possible use of our own resources such as solar, wind and tidal power and the development of energy saving, resource-efficient, renewable and low emission technologies.

By helping to meet our share of the European Union target of achieving 20 % of energy from renewable sources such as wind and tidal power as well as solar power, we can boost the local economy, and create jobs while meeting the challenge of climate change. We have wind, wave and tidal resources here and we have some great individual projects. We also have the possibility to work on cross-border projects. The Executive must provide the push and the incentives for the development of renewables on both a small-scale and large scale, and to move beyond individual projects to put the development of renewable energy firmly centre stage in our economic development plans.

We should reject the notion that nuclear energy has any part to play in meeting our energy needs.

In particular the opening up of an all-Ireland energy market could help bring down prices, particularly for electricity. We would also be in a better position to benefit from a new green deal to help re-launch the global economy.

We should also look at some of the work done by DARD and the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee in terms of renewable energy.

Reducing our Carbon footprint

While we are working towards such self sufficiency, we can and should take simple actions in our own lives to reduce our own "carbon footprints" and lead by example - use energy efficient electrical appliances, low energy light bulbs, resist leaving electrical items on standby, shop locally, avoid over packaged goods, have properly insulated homes, move to renewable energy and car share to work where walking, cycling or public transport is not a viable option.

Energy saving through simple steps such as insulating older homes and commercial properties must also be addressed. The ban on incandescent light bulbs should be supported with those on low incomes being supported during the phasing out process. Awareness raising programmes and incentive initiatives for business are to be encouraged and built upon.

Protecting our Environment

Protecting our natural environment will also pay dividends in the fight to reduce our emissions. Planting trees protecting vital carbon sinks are just two examples. Agriculture also has a part to play and there is a need to find a way to create sustainable livestock production. Biomass and short rotation coppice willow has also made a contribution in some areas.

Both mitigation and adaptation measures need to look very specifically at the question of biodiversity and habitats.

We also need to look at the role of waste management and the contribution that waste prevention, minimisation and recycling can play in reducing emissions.

Working with local government

Local authorities also need to grab hold of this issue as Dublin City Council has done on Sinn Féin's initiative. Dublin has adopted a Climate Change Strategy with a focus on reduction, reuse and recycling. This type of local action needs to be replicated across Ireland. One of the best aspects of this Strategy is its coherence. Waste management, transport, planning, energy generation and biodiversity are linked within the strategy and not treated as individual phenomena.

This type of joined-up thinking also shows where Assembly strategy and legislation could usefully encourage coordination of policy areas.

Attitudinal change is the most important element required in tackling climate change. This change can come from the bottom-up as was done by Dublin City Council and the many excellent environmental activists and organisations we have but making this change at the very top at government level can only be ensured through legislation that places the emphasis on action at national and local level.

The world economy is moving to meet this challenge and the Executive needs to ensure that we don't get left behind.

Housing and Planning

There should be a specific target for low carbon, good quality, well-insulated, energy efficient, affordable housing. In this regard we should take account of the 2008 House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee report on Existing Housing and Climate Change.

High building standards should be set in regard to building new homes, with energy efficiency at the core. The same high standards should apply to new public buildings and other structures. This is important for meeting our emissions targets as well as for tackling fuel poverty.

There should also be minimum standards for homes and a major programme of insulation and energy efficiency as a first step. There is a need for a cross-departmental action to ensure greater fuel efficiency in existing homes, including improvements to insulation schemes. Such a strategy could tackle three major issues in tandem - energy efficiency in relation to climate change, fuel poverty and the downturn in the building industry.

Costs

There is undoubtedly a cost to the measures that need to be taken. However the successful economies of the future will be green economies and there will be significant extra cost to our economy if we are left behind. Moreover, the Stern Report indicates that extreme weather could reduce global gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 1% and that a two to three degrees Celsius rise in temperatures could reduce global economic output by 3%

We also need to offset against the cost of measures we take the considerable potential benefits to the local economy in embracing green jobs and technologies. Across Europe this is identified as a key focus for action on climate change and

as part of a wider response to the current financial challenges.

In presenting the proposed Climate and Energy Package to the European Parliament in January 2008, Commission President Barroso described it as “an opportunity that should create thousands of new businesses and millions of jobs in Europe,"

Action Renewables estimated that almost 6,000 short term and 400 long term jobs could be sustained in the North of Ireland, exclusively by developing renewable energy here.

Assembly legislation

The Executive should introduce its own legislation in the form of a Climate Change Act for the North of Ireland that includes a legally binding regional target to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by at least 30% from their 1990 level by 2020 and by at least 80% from 1990 levels by 2050. We should also introduce legislation to include a tax on plastic bags, and also to tackle the problem of packaging waste.