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The Taoiseach has told the United Nations that Ireland will raise its carbon tax to \u20ac80 per tonne.<\/p>\nThe Taoiseach has told the United Nations that Ireland will raise its carbon tax to \u20ac80 per tonne.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the UN\u2019s Climate Action Summit 2019 in New York today, Mr Varadkar said he had been inspired by the thousands of young people who took to the streets last Friday to protest for climate justice.<\/p>\n
He added that he wanted Ireland to be known as a green country because of how it responds to the environmental challenges facing the planet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith our Climate Action Plan, we know what we are going to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNext year, we will underpin it through new climate action legislation, including carbon budgeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have already banned fracking.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a climate action fund paid for by a levy on oil.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur sovereign wealth fund has divested from fossil fuels.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will outlaw single-use plastics next and our public sector is already doing so.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a carbon tax and have a cross-party agreement to increase it to \u20ac80 per tonne by 2030.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom next year, all new revenue raised from carbon tax will be ring-fenced to fund new climate action and just transition.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust transition to protect those most exposed to higher fuel and energy costs and for whom new jobs must be found.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is a change from the Government\u2019s initial proposals for the carbon tax, in which it discussed returning the money generated to households in a dividend.<\/p>\n
However, Mr Varadkar said earlier today that although the dividend was \u201cpossible\u201d, it would be difficult and expensive to undertake.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will take coal off our electricity grid by 2025. Our renewable electricity will rise from 30% today to 70% in 10 years,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy 2030, we will have prohibited the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles. By then, we will have substantially electrified our fleet. All new public buses bought from now are hybrids.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the last week, on foot of a request from me, our independent Climate Change Advisory Council recommended that exploration for oil should end, as it is incompatible with a low carbon future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey recommended that exploration for natural gas should continue for now, as a transition fuel that we will need for decades to come while alternatives are developed and fully deployed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe we must replace a climate of fear and anxiety with a new climate of action and opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar\u2019s trip to the climate conference was met with considerable criticism from his political rivals, many of whom say the Government\u2019s plans do not go far enough to tackle the climate emergency.<\/p>\n
Both Brid Smith and Ruth Coppinger criticized the Government over its decision to halt the Climate Emergency Measures Bill from progressing through the parliament.<\/p>\n
The Bill had passed two separate votes in the Dail in 2018 and was set to move to the third stage when it was halted from progressing after Fine Gael claimed the legislation would be too expensive.<\/p>\n
Likewise, the Green Party, Friends of the Earth and a number of other environmental groups have released statements admonishing the continued exploration and recovery of gas in Irish waters.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to drive investment towards renewables, grid upgrades, storage and hydrogen power, away from fossil fuels as fast as we can. Gas licences have to go,\u201d Green Party spokesman on climate councilor David Healy said.<\/p>\n