There must be more world leaders “ready to tell it as it is”, Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the assembled heads of state and royals at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP30, in Brazil.
The Taoiseach said he is “concerned” that the global “spirit of common purpose is weakening”, noting that attendance from world leaders has dropped at this year’s event, reports RTE.
He said the world’s focus has been “drawn to other threats and crises” since the “optimistic” COP26 summit held in Glasgow back in 2021.
Mr Martin warned that the effects of climate change will continue to intensify, adding: “At a time when political leadership has never been more vital, there are fewer of us here in Belém, fewer leaders ready to tell it as it is,” reports RTE.
During his speech to the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, the Taoiseach also outlined Ireland’s progress in tackling environmental challenges, stating: “Ireland’s emissions have been falling for the last three years, and we now have lower overall emissions than at any point since 1990, despite our population growing by 50% over that period,” reports RTE.
Adding “we are making real progress, but we know that we have to go further,” reports RTE.
He continued: “The people of Ireland are no strangers to shifting weather patterns and more intense storms, which expose our vulnerabilities,” reports RTE.
Mr Martin said Ireland is adapting through investment in flood protection schemes, coastal defences, early warning systems, and sustainable farming and industrial practices.
He further emphasised that the consequences of climate change are “not felt equally”, reports RTE.
The Taoiseach added: “The poorest and most vulnerable nations, and the poorest people within all nations, those who did least to cause this crisis, are often those who suffer first and suffer most,” reports RTE.
The global climate conference is taking place in Belém, in northern Brazil, a region known as the “gateway to the Amazon”.
Mr Martin described the setting as a “place that is both a wonder of nature and a reminder of what is at stake,” reports RTE.
The UN’s scientific body recently announced that this year is on course to become the second or third hottest on record as an “unprecedented streak” of extreme global temperatures continues, reports RTE.
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