EPA Publishes Report On Impact Of Climate Change In Ireland

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley, T.D., and Environmental NGOs launched a new website, www.1010.ie last Thursday. www.1010.ie calls on everybody in Ireland to sign a 'pledge' to support the efforts of Government to 'SEAL THE DEAL' in Copenhagen, and encourages the public to reduce their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

The launch was a joint event with the Environmental Protection Agency and Laura Burke, Director of the EPA, was also in attendance to release the EPA's report on 'A Summary of the State of Knowledge on Climate Change Impacts for Ireland'.

Both initiatives are timely as Government prepares for the UN Climate Change Conference that is taking place in Copenhagen in mid-December which aims to agree a new international deal on carbon emissions to come into force in 2012, after the Kyoto Protocol expires.

"We need to reduce the amount of carbon emissions being produced, nationally and globally, in order to reduce our impact on climate change and the Irish Government is committed to doing everything it can to agree a new deal in Copenhagen to tackle carbon emissions," said Minister Gormley.  "I am grateful to the Environmental NGO's for their support and encourage everybody to visit the website, www.1010.ie, to see what they can do to tackle climate change in their home and in their workplace."

The EPA report on the State of Knowledge on Climate Change impacts is an important summary and assessment of where they think they are in understanding of climate change.

Speaking at the launch, Laura Burke said that, "it is welcome to see cross agency involvement in this work in which the EPA collaborated with Met Eireann and the Marine Institute among other groups, including leading academics working in this area such as the NUI Maynooth Icarus group and Coastal and Marine Resources Centre  in University College Cork. The report shows that climate change will impact on a range of sectors in Ireland and that actions are required to reduce the adverse consequences of these impacts. This report is also a key step in the development of a planned climate information system for Ireland which would provide information to key users across all sectors and is envisaged a vital element in our strategy to adapt to climate change."

The Minister and the other attendees at the launch spearheaded this initiative by signing the first pledge book which has now been moved to the public library in Pearse St, Dublin for the public to sign.

"On average in Europe we each generate 8.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.  Individuals, householders, communities and business can easily reduce carbon emissions by at least 10% through small changes that really can make a difference, such as walking, cycling and using public transport where possible, changing to low-energy light bulbs, and ensuring heat is not being lost through draughty windows and doors," says Tony Lowes, Friends of the Irish Environment who are involved in the www.1010.ie campaign.  "As well as helping to tackle climate change, you can save money too."