Sir, – Gerard Palmer (Letters, December 21st) cautions against Ireland acting as a leader for larger countries in the global fight against climate change, citing our small relative share of overall emissions. He also implies that climate mitigation policies would be put in place without the "consent" of Irish citizens.
The limited scale of our emissions is precisely why leading by example is the most important contribution that Ireland can make.
It is our small size that allows us to quickly implement and demonstrate emission reduction strategies ahead of other countries.
And just like every single other public policy ever enacted, consent for future climate polices will of course be secured via Ireland’s system of democratic governance. – Yours, etc,
DONAGH CAGNEY,
Brussels.