Crucial decisions urged for COP26 as poorest suffer climate impacts

It is “unacceptable” Ireland remains the second highest emitter per capita in the EU, according to Church charity Trócaire in a policy document ahead of the COP26 Climate Change Summit taking place in Glasgow this week.

The charity said that while Ireland’s Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill aims to reduce emissions by 51% by 2030, the country needs to be catching up with EU neighbours “as fast as possible”.

Trócaire CEO, Caoimhe de Barra, said: “COP26 cannot merely be a ‘talking shop’. The international community must seize the historic opportunity to agree crucial decisions to put the world on track to deliver on climate action.

“The harsh reality is that 2021 was a year of unprecedented climate impacts compounding existing health, poverty and inequality crises. Trócaire’s work across the world has given us first-hand experience of the unequal impact of climate change, especially on women and indigenous peoples who are bearing the brunt of climate impacts.”

Regarding climate emissions, Trocaire said success at COP26 can only be achieved if high-emitting countries show leadership and commit to keeping global temperatures below 1.5C.

They stated it is essential to support countries least responsible for creating the climate change problem, but who suffer the worst of its impacts including sea level rises, floods and droughts.

Trócaire said the world is now in an era of ‘loss and damage’. This has led to irreparable harm caused by climate change and has huge costs for people in low-income countries. The charity said COP26 must establish a new financing facility for loss and damage, specifically to support low-income countries.