The Government must not be allowed buy its way out of its commitments to the Kyoto international treaty to combat climate change, it was urged today.
Young Green Party members called on the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dick Roche, to work to cut harmful emissions by introducing a carbon tax, promoting wind energy and reducing car dependency through investment in public transport.
Ahead of the Kyoto Protocol coming into effect later this week, Ms Molly Walsh, deputy chairwoman of the youth party, warned: "The Government should not be attempting to buy its way out of our Kyoto Protocol commitments."
The Young Greens today unveiled their Valentine's campaign postcard, 'I Love Kyoto', which will be handed out across the country to encourage people to force the Environment Department into action.
The Kyoto Protocol is set to come into force this Wednesday - more than seven years after the international treaty was adopted.
However, the Government has already allocated a sum of €1 million in last December's budget for the purchase of carbon credits during this year to compensate for its failure to cut Ireland's high greenhouse gas emissions.
The Department of the Environment says it will spend around €185 million in purchasing the credits between 2008 and 2012.
Ireland agreed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels to 60 million tonnes by 2008 - however, the current output stands around 67 million tonnes. Ministers are currently reviewing the National Climate Change Strategy, which was adopted in 2000.
Many of its proposals, including forcing businesses to pay carbon taxes depending on their outputs and converting the huge coal-fired power station, Moneypoint, on the Shannon estuary to run on natural gas, have not been implemented.