Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that the “climate imperative is that we act now and change how we produce food”.
He was speaking today (Thursday, April 14) at the Renewable Energy Conference being held in Galway.
The Taoiseach referenced the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report earlier this month, which warned that average annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were at their highest levels in human history in 2010-2019.
“Simply put, despite all the other challenges we are facing – and there are many – climate change is the most profound and far-reaching threat of our time,” the Taoiseach stated.
Changing how we produce food
Micheál Martin said that the world needs to drastically reduce GHGs this decade in order to have any chance of limiting global warming.
He said: “We know now, that our energy future must be renewable. As I speak to you today, our scientific understanding of the impact of greenhouse gas emissions has crystallised and the evidence of this change is all around us.
“Climate change is a threat to all of us and to our way of life.”
The Taoiseach added that the “brutal war” on Ukraine has demonstrated that Europe needs to move away from its reliance on fossil fuels.
“The climate imperative is that we act now and change how we live, how we travel, how we produce food and how we generate and use energy,” he said.
“Renewable electricity cannot only help deliver our necessary emissions reduction targets, but also provide new jobs, new opportunities and a more resilient, secure and sustainable energy system for future generations.
“Ireland has very promising green hydrogen and offshore renewable energy potential.”
The Taoiseach said that an electricity grid driven by renewable energy sources will contribute significantly to Ireland’s GHG emissions reduction targets.
He concluded by saying: “I do not underestimate the challenge of the task ahead, but there is a role for all of us, working together to exploit the many opportunities to address climate change, secure our energy supply while delivering economic growth and supporting balanced regional development.”