Environment Minister Eamon Ryan defended the government’s commitments on climate change at COP27.
Speaking to it, at the Egyptian climate summit yesterday, the Taoiseach announced that Ireland will donate €10 million to the Global Shield initiative by 2023.
The initiative aims to increase the financing needed to protect against climate risks in poor countries.
However, Trócaire policy chief Siobhan Curran is reported to have said that this €10m comes from existing climate finance and that funding for loss and damage should be additional.
Speaking about his arrival at the cabinet meeting this morning, Ryan said “didn’t know about that definition of old money or new money, but it is important that we did provide the money and that we were there offering support. There is new money. We have to deliver on the commitment we made last year which is up to €225 million a year for climate finance, and that’s really important first of all that we help the developing world to switch to renewables, protect them from the climate change that is happening and also to provide for loss and damage. The details of that are going to be discussed at COP, the Taoiseach was obviously involved in those negotiations yesterday but the real work will be done in the next ten days,” reports RTE.
Mr Ryan said that Ireland would be working collectively “within the European Union negotiating position”, according to RTE.
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