AS THE latest UN climate change talks got under way yesterday in the Polish city of Poznan, Friends of the Earth Ireland (FoEI) has accused the Government of being "in denial" about Ireland's responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
According to FoEI director Oisín Coghlan, Ireland is "dragging its feet" in the EU negotiations that observers believe will largely determine whether a global deal to contain climate change can be agreed at the next UN climate-change conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.
"Ten years ago Ministers in this Government signed up to our Kyoto target; then completely failed to stick to it. So this time around the plan seems to be 'commit to as little as possible'.
"Either the Government is in denial about the threat climate change poses or indifferent to the fate of those who will be worst affected."
Minister for the Environment John Gormley will travel to Brussels tomorrow for three days of intensive EU negotiations before going to Poznan for the high-level segment of the UN talks, starting next Wednesday. Meanwhile, Taoiseach Brian Cowen will be involved in finalising the EU's position at a summit meeting in Brussels.
In a statement, Mr Coghlan said the EU wanted to offer to cut emissions by 30 per cent by 2020 in the UN talks.
However, in internal EU negotiations - which are due to culminate this week - Ireland "is refusing to commit to cuts of more than 20 per cent even if there is a new global deal".
He said Ireland was also opposing a move by the European Parliament to allocate 50 per cent of the revenues from selling emissions permits to industry to be earmarked for helping developing countries adapt to climate change and reduce their own emissions.
"A year ago the Government promised a further Oireachtas debate on a Climate Change Bill that would put our emissions targets into law.
"Now it's refusing to schedule that debate. So much for our reputation as a champion of the developing world.
"The poorest people on the planet are being hit first and worst by climate change. Yet Ireland is refusing to do its fair share to stop it running out of control, and refusing to support efforts to help developing countries cope with the consequences."
A spokesman for Mr Gormley rejected FoEI's charge of "foot- dragging", saying Ireland "is fully committed to the 30 per cent target and the European level of ambition".
"But like every EU member state, our perspective is that this has to be based on a full analysis of how each country can best achieve the higher target."
On the issue of ring-fencing revenue from auctioning emission permits to help developing countries combat climate change, he said this was a matter for each member state to decide. The Minister was also prepared to advance a Climate Change Bill once all-party agreement was reached on targets and how to achieve them.
However, Pat Finnegan, of the Grian environmental group, who is attending the Poznan conference, said the EU as a whole was failing to respond to the opportunity offered by the imminent change in administration in the US, where Barack Obama takes over from "climate-sceptic" George Bush on January 20th.
This would provide "a historic opportunity for a new, organised and comprehensive UN response to climate change".
"What is needed is a concerted effort aimed at closely coupling the current capital crisis to the overwhelming and urgent need to rapidly de-carbonise the global energy system."
He called on Mr Cowen to support the Poznan negotiations by "clearly, unambiguously and wholeheartedly" committing Ireland to full delivery of its proposed target - a 30 per cent cut in Irish emissions by 2020 - at the European Council in Brussels next week.
• A report issued yesterday by the European Environment Agency revealed that only 11 member states expect to comply with the EU National Emission Ceilings Directive for four main air pollutants - notably nitrogen oxides - largely because demand for road transport has grown faster than anticipated.
