Identity

Don't Let Climate Change Kill The Green Party

  • Ireland has been in the vanguard of progressive social policy

  • The environment is no some far off distance land

  • The Green Party must become synonymous with ‘innovation’ as much as ‘environment’

William Priestley

China produces more carbon dioxide in a week than Ireland does in a year. Sadly, even if we were to achieve the feat of becoming the world’s first carbon neutral country, it would do little to assuage the effects of global warming. Many domestic Green policies, such as the carbon tax and subsidies for renewable energy, are seen to be expensive and punitive for the taxpayer. Framed in this light, it can difficult to prioritise the environment at the ballot box: especially given the dysfunction of our housing and health systems. 

In order to reimage the Green agenda as a mainstream political movement, we need to begin by deconstructing its most prevalent criticisms. The first of these is a genuine sense of disempowerment. The fact is that even our best efforts of addressing climate change are quickly undone by the actions of larger and more industrialised countries. Consequently, the frustration of environment-related taxes is exacerbated by their apparent pointlessness. It is, however, within this interconnectivity of the modern world that our agency lies. 

Exchange & Collaboration

We live in an unprecedented age of exchange and collaboration. The cultural dimension of this barter is an area in which we have long excelled. Once a year, this achievement culminates in the remarkable global brand celebration that is St. Patrick’s Day. Around the world, natural and architectural landmarks are draped in emerald green for no other reason that a unique blend of affection and soft power. While this success is scarcely credible, it illustrates the unique influence of a small wet country on the fringes of Europe.

Whether it be the equality referendum or the fact that our current leader is a gay man of mixed-race, Ireland has been in the vanguard of progressive behavioural change in the past. In 2004, we were the first country to introduce the smoking ban: a policy that had direct and lasting consequences for other societies around the world. (Another small country, Denmark, achieved similar results through the simple act of charging for plastic bags in 1993.) With this mind, we should expect more from our leaders with regard to the environment. 

The achievement of Ireland becoming carbon neutral as a country is the contagion it creates. The success is in the template and the steps we took along the way. Failing to push the boundaries for no other reason than the scale of the task is contrary to everything that has come to define our modern economy. Although speaking at a different point in our history, JFK’s words still ring true: “This has never been a rich or powerful country, and yet, since earliest times, its influence on the world has been rich and powerful.”

The Environment is Somewhere Else

The second challenge facing the Green agenda is the conceptualisation of the environment as somewhere else. Many stereotypes of global warming entail melting ice caps at the north pole and holes in the ozone over Australia. Recently, 40kg of plastic was found in the stomach of a whale off the coast of the Philippines. Like the ‘Green Pacific Garbage Patch’, which is now bigger than France, Germany and Spain combined, this is a terrifying portent for the future. While both seem infinitely far away from Castlerea or Skeheenaranky, the reality is quite different. As it stands, over 80% of prawns in Dublin Bay have plastic in their system. Ireland holds the ignominious title of being the top producer of plastic waste in Europe: generating an average of 61kgs per person every year. This is almost double the figure in the UK. 

Our environmental policy of self-harm is not restricted to plastic. We have lost 40% of soil fertility in the last ten years and consistently have tens of thousands of households without drinkable water in their homes. When it comes to direct consequences for the Irish food chain, it really doesn’t matter how many billions of plastic bottles are discarded in China each year. It only matters what Irish people do. The environment is not a faraway place: it’s actually the place outside your door. 

Lastly, Ireland’s political relationship with the Green Party is perhaps the most complex challenge of all. The recent wave of protests by thousands of school children was a timely reminder of the complete disconnect between government policy and future generations. We will miss all of our EU 2020 emission targets and almost certainly face millions of euros in fines. We currently rank worst in the EU for action on climate change and while the recent report from the Oireachtas on the same topic is a great step forward, is neither government policy nor legally binding.

Soul of The Party

For some people, the Green Party is still tainted as the junior partner in one of the most ill-fated governments in living memory. For others, it is consistently pigeonholed as a one-issue movement. Whatever the reality, the truth is that the pressures of education, health and justice are prominent in people’s lives in a way that the environment simply isn’t. It is difficult to ask a voter to prioritise renewable energy when they are forced to visit loved ones marooned on hospital trolleys. 


The dynamism of the Green Party around the climate change must be established across the programme of government. While we do have a role to play on the global stage, environmental issues are often seen as separate from the fabric of everyday life in Ireland. It is innovative policies that happen to be green that will bring the Green Party into the mainstream, not the other way around. The recent debate around carbon tax has been fraught. With agriculture and industry being the biggest producers, taxpayers want to see equality. That doesn’t mean they don’t care about the environment though. Issues of water quality, dumping, air waste management, agricultural practices and food chain logistics are now central to our collective psyche. With the right mindset and sense of urgency, there is every reason to be positive about the political landscape of the future.