Govt Criticised For Failure To Invest In Climate Action

The government has been accused of "only playing lip service" to Climate Action with a failure to invest stifling the state's response.

Sinn Féin spokesperson for Climate Action David Cullinane, said: "The report by the Climate Change Advisory Council shows two things: the government's response to climate change is inadequate and that a just and fair transition is still not part of the establishment's agenda.

"In order to reduce car usage, we must invest in public transport. 

"We need to bring more of our towns into the network, while increasing capacity in our cities.

"We have to look at ways to help households retrofit their homes.

"We have to invest in alternative energy sources, including wind, solar, and biomass. 

"We have to ensure that the transition is fair and just and that the burden does not fall on the shoulders of ordinary families who are unable to change behaviour as the alternatives are simply not in place.

"We can see the government's hypocrisy with the Mercosur deal, where it supports the production beef thousands of miles away on land cleared from rain forests, ready to be shipped and sold in Europe.  

"The government must grasp the nettle of investment in public transport and renewable energy and to stop chasing the low hanging fruit of more taxes without putting in place pathways to change. 

"The same goes for the Mercosur deal, a 90s throwback in a 21st century world.

"These are the real lessons from this report; ones that Sinn Féin will heed in government."