People Before Profit said at a media conference this morning that the revised Climate Bill is a betrayal of the climate movement and defeats the purpose of the Green Party being in government.
The party said that the emissions reductions targets expected in the bill seem to kick the can down the road and goes against the science. They also said that the omission of a ban on the importation of LNG betrays the climate movement.
Bríd Smith TD, who has been selected as the Rapporteur on LNG on the Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action, said: “From the reports today it seems that the new Climate Bill, which the Green Party have said is a priority for them, is merely a process of kicking our emissions reductions targets down the road. We need this legislation to be led by science. The reductions targets of 51% by 2030 massively falls short of what science is telling us we need to achieve by then.
“The omission of a ban on the import of Liquified Natural Gas from the bill is alarming and will be infuriating for climate activists, school strikers and the climate movement. Again, not including a ban on the importation of LNG in this bill goes against the science and betrays the movement.
“The whole purpose of the Greens going into government, we were told, was so they could make an impact on Ireland’s climate laggard status. This bill copper fastens our status as climate laggards and is a work of spin.”