He said: "There is overwhelming scientific evidence that global warming is happening. In fact, according to UNEP's latest Emissions Gap report, instead of declining, greenhouse gases are actually increasing more rapidly than previous projections. Climate change is likely to alter traditional weather patterns with important implications for the whole population of the world and particularly for the agricultural sector. We have a responsibility to future generations to ensure there is a successful outcome to our discussions this week."
Given the limited scope for individual countries acting alone to successfully tackle climate change, the Minister emphasised the critical importance of the global efforts under the UN process, and the essential purpose of the negotiations taking place in Doha this week.
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"It is only by continuing to engage proactively with international organisations through EU and UN structures that we can have optimum effect in terms of developing an ambitious and deliverable global strategy to keep the planetary temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius.
"Internationally, strengthening the means of implementation for both mitigation and adaptation is central for effective action to address the challenges of climate change. An essential element of a balanced package from Doha will be the extension of the Kyoto Protocol until 2020; but the package must also involve taking decisive action now across a range of other elements, to close the ambition gap, through increasing pledges and tapping into other complementary initiatives, and to help deliver the new global, legally-binding agreement by 2015.
"The EU is on target to meet their 20% emission reduction target by 2020 which is mandated in legislation throughout all its 27 Member States. However, the EU accounts for only 11% of global emissions, so we need others to also do more in terms of emissions reductions, in parallel with the increased efforts of the EU."
With the aim of contributing to those EU efforts, the Minister emphasised the progress being made nationally in delivering on the programme for the development of national climate policy published in early 2012, in particular the completion of an interim policy analysis report by the NESC Secretariat.
"The remainder of this year will see further progress on the programme and I expect to announce details of additional initiatives in this regard in the coming weeks, all designed to move Ireland further along the transition to a low-carbon future."
(CD/GK)
