Friends of the Earth’s Act for Climate website is generating quite a few emails asking candidates to commit to 3% ongoing year-on-year reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.  My response, giving this commitment, is below.

Yes.  The Green Party is committed to a legally binding 3% annual reduction in carbon emissions, as set out in our manifesto:

It is probably most clearly set out in our policy launch of 5th April

You might be interested in my work as one of 3 Green Councillors in Fingal County Council on improved heat energy efficiency standards and renewable energy in houses in local area plans in Fingal.  We have convinced the full Council to require that the houses use 60% less heat (space heating and hot water) than houses built to the current building regulations and that 30% of that demand is met from renewables.  See here.

As Chair of the Energy Action Team on Fingal Development Board I have been pushing the Council/Development Board to engage with wider energy issues as well.   Reports on this and other energy/climate issues are here.

Additionally, I have done research on climate change policy issues such as a report on subsidies to fossil fuels in Ireland and I am very involved in Cap and Share.

You can see this is a priority both for the Greens and for me personally.