Minister Bruton's new climate plan 'not yet the revolution he promised'

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Commenting on the draft National Energy and Climate plan, just published by Minister Bruton, Oisín Coghlan, Director of Friends of the Earth, said:

"Today's draft National Energy and Climate Plan is not yet the 'revolution' Minister Bruton has promised, but I welcome his honesty that this is the case. The Minister has again committed to producing an new all-of-government Climate Action Plan early in 2019 with additional measures to cut pollution in all sectors of the economy and society, and close Ireland's 'emissions gap'.

"After all the Minister's frankness and fine words, the Climate Action Plan he produces in early 2019 will have to be at least as strong as the Citizens' Assembly recommendations, and have as many teeth as the Action Plan for Jobs, to ensure all Departments actually deliver on their commitments.

"The Minister also still has work to do to close the gap between his rhetoric and the positions his party and his Department take in practice, not joining progressive EU members in backing higher ambition on emissions in line with the Paris Agreement at the UN climate talks last week, and just yesterday trying to kill the Bill that would ban new oil and gas drilling offshore after 2030."


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Climate Change