Roderic O’Gorman, the recently appointed leader of the Green Party, has emerged victorious in a tight contest, narrowly winning with 984 votes against Pippa Hackett’s 912. The Dublin West TD and current Minister for Children and Integration comes to lead in a time when the Green Party is grappling with the nation’s perspectives on climate change. O’Gorman’s victory was seen as a struggle between the city’s progressive faction and those in the countryside who align more closely with Hackett, an organic farmer and Senator of the rural county of Offaly.
The diminishing faith of the Green Party at a national level is evidenced by feedback from the Climate Conversations headed by the Government since 2021. This annual programme comprises extensive online surveys and small-scale focus groups and workshops across six or seven weeks, aimed at gauging the nation’s attitude towards climate change.
In 2021, amidst the Covid pandemic, the inaugural Climate Conversations survey uncovered widespread approval for climate action measures. More than 90% of participants designated the gravity of climate change as an 8 to 10 out of 10, won’t 85% pushing for the Government to massively escalate their climate initiatives.
According to the initial report, “The respondents displayed a potent aspiration for enhanced climate action, extending to the government, businesses and themselves as private individuals”. Despite widespread acceptance of climate change’s severity and a vigorous desire to act, individuals face significant hurdles in the form of infrastructural, social, and economic obstacles.
People expressed a keen interest in safeguarding future generations, nurturing bustling communities, ensuring a healthier society, conserving our natural environment and landscapes, and transitioning away from disposable culture, lending weight to the public’s underlying concerns.
Rewording the original information, it would seem that individuals displayed enthusiasm towards measures to counter climate change through their personal finances and acts. Approximately 70% of the roughly 3,800 respondents claimed to have revamped their shopping styles to be environmentally-conscious, by either curbing consumerism or opting for recyclable and reusable products. Likewise, about 60% reported that their food planning, purchasing, and preparation processes have been adjusted to lessen the climate impact and avoid waste. An equally considerable number confessed to being mindful of conserving energy and limiting their vehicle usage. These individuals perceive climate change as a critical issue and are eager to contribute towards mitigation, but are confronted by various systemic, societal, and fiscal obstacles, according to the study.
However, the Climate Conversations 2023 report released recently portrays a shift in public sentiment. Almost half of the populace now doubts the notion that climate change is inflicting harm on Ireland’s inhabitants. As stated in the report, this group projects climate change as an external event, taking place elsewhere, affecting someone else, and set in a distant future.
The report assessed 29 nations spanning both developed and developing regions, and discovered that the Irish populace is among the least prone to report personally witnessing the manifestations of climate change in their immediate surroundings.
Contrarily, concerns flooding the Irish minds range from inflation, crime, physical aggression, poverty, socioeconomic differences, to unemployment, overshadowing their motivation to act on climate change. They’re unwilling to sacrifice meat consumption, restrict air travel, surrender automotive convenience, or invest in a heat pump.
On the surface, it might seem as though these surveys were conducted in two distinct societies. To some degree, they were. Ireland has undergone a considerable surge in living costs, inclusive of mortgage interest rates and energy costs, in the intervening time. Oddly though, these rising costs haven’t fostered support for eco-friendly initiatives.
It’s important to acknowledge the nuanced disparities between the surveys conducted, despite the consistent methods employed. Further scrutiny reveals these differences may not be as pronounced as initially perceived. Nonetheless, the 2023 survey seemingly focussed more on the negative aspects, or the half-empty glass, compared to the 2021 survey which inferred more positive tones, indicating a shift in public attitudes towards the harsh reality of climate change.
This disparity may have influenced the less than stellar electoral performance of the party in the local European elections, which subsequently led to Eamon Ryan’s resignation as leader.
The evidence suggests that O’Gorman, who is known for aligning with the Green Party’s stances on both social justice and climate change, might be the optimal selection for the party leader. He stressed his accomplishments in his election speech, specifically regarding childcare, refugees, and adoption, positioning himself in contrast to Hackett, who adopted a more classic environmental approach.
Moreover, O’Gorman emphasised the necessity for the party to address people’s everyday worries to be deemed electable. If the most recent Climate Conversations report serves as an indicator, it appears those daily concerns do not include climate change.