The Special Convention for the @greenparty_ie was a very interesting event but I feel there was some key context missing from how much of win was negotiated in the key area of carbon emissions

Firstly, the upcoming Climate Bill (and associated governance measures) in the first 100 days was cited as a major win. However, the previous gov. published the draft scheme of this Climate Bill in January and the plan before the snap election was to pass this in the prior Dail.

That Bill contained binding carbon budgets, sectoral targets, a CC Oireachtas committee, the Climate Action Council, 2050 net zero target and pretty much everything else in Climate Governance section of the PfG. Link below:

https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/news-and-media/press-releases/Pages/Minister-Bruton-Publishes-Draft-Scheme-of-New-Climate-Law.aspx

If this is a bill from the previous government and one which they were keen to pass, I am not sure why this is being portrayed as a major concession rather than just a continuation? You would wonder how @RichardbrutonTD feels about his work being retconned as a GP achievement?

Now it is true that this bill was the product of the Climate Change Committee but given key role @EamonRyan played in that work from opposition, it also seems strange to argue its existence as a key reason why you have to be in Government to achieve anything?

A similar feeling emerges when you compare the PfG against the Climate Action Plan under the previous government and Green Party policy. There is obviously a difference in detail but the few hard numbers in the PfG suggest more shared DNA with the former

https://www.dccae.gov.ie/documents/Climate%20Action%20Plan%202019.pdf

So what are some of the (few) actual hard numbers for 2030 given in the PfG and how do they compare:

Renewables: PfG: 70%; Action Plan: 70%; Green Policy: 75%

Heat Pumps: PfG: 600k, Action Plan: 600k, GP: 1m

Retrofit: PfG: 500k, Action Plan: 500k, GP: 750k

Seeing a pattern?

Carbon tax goes from €80 to €100 but who fears a tax increase they can blame on others. Also the leakage of these funds in emissions policy like REPS rather than equity, sets precedent of climate acts having to wash their face while failing industries like greyhounds get €€€

Transport is a big win in terms of quality of life since cycling/public transport > cars. But just in terms of pure emission reductions have we simply replaced electric cars with electric bikes and buses? Under that Action Plan there was a 50% reduction penciled in transport

The Action Plan had a 35% reduction by 2030 and this is now 50% (the famous 7% average). This was probably coming from the EU anyways but the question for this PfG is where the extra 15% is coming from if transport, energy & built environment were already at 50%? Sweat them more?

Or look at industry, land use & agri. Land use plan is major plus but very worrying the lack of any targets on areas such as forestry, re-wetting and timeline for ending peat mining. Last point is NB as a rewetted bog is a v. poor relation to saving our remaining bogs!

Agriculture is nothing but a series of capitulations. Biogenic methane weasel words, keeping the nitrates derogation, REPS not being explicitly results based etc. Lots left to CAP but GP won't likely have anyone in room for European Council and Council of Ministers talks

I understand this area is politically difficult but to walk away with so little when agri/land use is going to be 40% of emissions by 2030 is very tough to swallow and calls into question how this PfG is consistent w/ the 50% goal. How will 1st carbon budget get us on 50% track?

At this point you may say "So what? Won't it be worse than with [insert alt gov. here]" and to some extent that is true. But when I compare what the Greens achieved in opposition vs. this PfG, I wonder is the GP is better a soft power superpower than hard nosed enough for gov

In gov, default frame will go from "Do more" to "We're doing our best" and role as honest broker gone. This PfG either indicates a lack of clear direction for achieving 50% or that FF/FG are incompatible with that goal. Will we hear that w/ coalition restrictions (e.g. unanimty)?

Can GP learn in government? Possibly, but there is enough evidence here to suggest the @greenparty_ie has been caught on the hop and out of its depth on what is supposed to be a key area of strength. I expect policy, not aspiration and winning in government demands the same.

Outside gov, not hopeless. See wins via legal challenge. Shannon LNG & Bord na Mona missing 2020 peat season owe more to legal victories than negotiation. See Dutch SC ruling for potential. Fear a GP minister defending State against environmental action like corruption in 07?

Big wins/losses in other areas but if narrowly looking as a climate emergency PfG, I think the case in favour has been way overstated. Looks more like FG action plan with 7% sticker and a hope that EU/technology/clever civil servants will fill the gaps. If passed, hope I'm wrong.