Despite enduring nine gruelling months of extreme weather conditions, including heavy storms and floods, which have wrenchingly disrupted food production, Irish voters don’t rank climate change high on their list of concerns. This seems to be a common trend during elections, although there is proof that the Irish public comprehends the gravity of the global climate emergency and wishes the government to adopt a more proactive approach.
The vigorously contested climate crisis issue often fails to be addressed by election candidates, as evidence by campaign flyers received. The topic is seldom broached, and even when the NRL – EU’s nature restoration law – is brought up, it’s largely in a disparaging context.
Interestingly, better public transport and active travel, which can effectively reduce carbon emissions in cities, are frequently cited. However, nature-based solutions that could curb biodiversity loss and safeguard against severe weather patterns are scarcely discussed.
Green Party Councillor Claire Byrne is acutely aware of this disconnect. Thus, her strategy for her Dublin’s southeast inner city ward is to nudge voters into remembering the looming threat and the numerous advantages of proactive climate action, which include cleaner air, less congested streets and more liveable spaces.
According to Byrne, climate change is rarely the first topic one initiates in a conversation, but people are usually receptive to discussing it when steered that way. She thinks that extreme weather incidents have made the issue more prominent in people’s minds since the previous election.
Contrarily, Fine Gael Councillor, Thomasina Connell from Laois, thinks climate change is less of a talking point now than when she initially ran for election five years ago. Nevertheless, she believes a diverse set of actions, particularly in Portlaoise, midland’s largest town, equates to effective climate action.
The expansion of local bus services marks the beginning of “a low-carbon town” initiative, encompassing 40 bus stops across the heavily congested city. This, along with new cycle paths, biodiversity projects, water preservation, and community sustainability activities, all contribute to an improved way of life. As mentioned by Connell, significant progress has been made in recent years.
The manifestos shed light on varying emphasis. The Greens have truly stuck to their roots when it comes to prioritizing climate action while this time the Social Democrats offer in-depth policies that are just as commendable. The former advocates for nature restoration, a recalibration of road usage, and enhanced adaptation techniques to build resilience against a possible global temperature increase beyond 1.5 degrees.
People Before Profit aims highest with their plans centred on achieving “climate neutrality by 2035”, encouraging behavioural change, free travel on hydrogen-operated buses, cost-effective public transport, and a grand network plan for Dublin Area cyclists. On the other hand, Labour is focusing on active transport infrastructure audits, promoting “pedestrian-friendly towns and city centres”, and ensuring enhanced services like cycling storage solutions at bus shelters and transportation centres.
Since the failure in the 2019 elections, Sinn Féin has polished its policies and now highlights renewable energy focussed visions and a robust plan for zero-emission though lacking in fine details. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have prioritised national policy and are proud of their accomplishments while governing. Fine Gael’s manifesto may appear as a mixture of broad promises but their unique “bike-to-college” scheme stands out. Fianna Fáil, in a related approach, pledges to establish “a devoted police force for public transport”.
While campaigning, the circulation of disinformation at the European level is seemingly limited. The NRL faces rejection attempts from farmers and right-wing extremists. However, in rural Ireland, NRL is typically portrayed as a menace (in conjunction with labelling Eamon Ryan as the villain). This sentiment is particularly predominant amongst the independents. Per a Farmers Journal survey, Independent Ireland ranked third in popularity among farmers at 11 per cent. However, unlike other European nations, a Friends of the Earth (FoE) poll showed little shift in Irish public opinion against climate action.
Lastly, at the EU level, the ominous politics which was predicted to surface during the climate transition have indeed set in.
Historian Diarmaid Ferriter highlighted that various themes are overcrowding the space, all of which arguably pale in comparison to the substantial impacts of climate change. He also remarked that across Europe, those who oppose essential reform are resorting to unproductive and hazardous tactics that unfairly target climate change activists and rely on nationalistic claims of ‘liberty’ or ‘sovereignty’. While this might not be prevalent in Ireland, the nation’s immigration discussions serve as a warning that there is potential for the climate conversation to adopt a similar framing unless an open and truthful dialogue is conducted during the general election. Following such a direction can potentially exacerbate current challenges faced by the Irish Green party if climate action is not well-received.