Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 March 2024
34. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No.123 of 25 January 2024, the status of plans for the Government to endorse the call for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11119/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI continue to keep the issue of a possible Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty under review.
I remain of the view that our reliance on fossil fuels is incompatible with the Paris Agreement and a climate neutral future, and we continue to follow the progress and development of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Simultaneously, we are acting both domestically and internationally to tackle our reliance on fossil fuels. Following the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act 2018, the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund divested from fossil fuel companies and holds a list of companies in which it will not invest. Ireland has also ended the issuing of new exploration licences for fossil fuels and will manage existing authorisations towards a natural conclusion, through expiration, relinquishment, or production.
International collaboration is key to achieving the widespread, transformative change needed to tackle climate change. At COP26, Ireland joined the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) because of our determination to shift the global relationship with nature from a place of extraction to rehabilitation.
This commitment was demonstrated further at COP27 when Ireland joined the Global Offshore Wind Alliance to create a global driving force for the uptake of offshore wind through political mobilisation and the creation of a global community of practice.
At COP28, Ireland continued its advocacy on this issue and for the first time a COP decision recognised the need to transition away from fossil fuels. I participated in a number of BOGA events and attended a High-Level Dialogue on International Cooperation for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, as well as other related meetings.
Following COP28, and since my response to Parliamentary Question No.123 of 25 January 2024, I have continued to work multilaterally to progress the phase-out of fossil fuels. In February, I co-chaired the IEA’s 2024 Ministerial Meeting and 50th Anniversary, a two-day event that produced strong engagement to safeguard energy security while stepping up clean energy transitions to keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C within reach. The meeting delivered a powerful consensus on the need for bolder action and greater global cooperation to swiftly transform the world’s energy system, with geopolitical uncertainty on the rise and global temperatures continuing to break records.
At this Ministerial meeting, the IEA was mandated to take a leading role in removing barriers to clean energy transitions, and to track and report on the implementation of COP28's major energy outcomes, including the global 2030 targets of tripling renewable energy capacity, doubling energy efficiency progress, reducing methane emissions, and accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels.
