Micheál Martin has said there needs to be more leaders “ready to tell it as it is,” as he addressed heads of state and royalty gathered for 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 summit, reports Breaking News.
Speaking on Thursday, he added that the world’s focus has been “drawn to other threats and crises” since the “optimistic” COP26 conference in Glasgow in 2021.
He warned that the challenges presented by climate change will intensify over time, saying: “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 Breaking News.
In his address to the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, Mr Martin also highlighted Ireland’s efforts to reduce emissions, 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.”
He added, “we are making real progress, but we know that we have to go further,” reports Breaking News.
Mr Martin said: “The people of Ireland are no strangers to shifting weather patterns and more intense storms, which expose our vulnerabilities.”
He outlined how the country is adapting by investing in flood relief schemes, coastal defences, early-warning systems, and sustainable agriculture and industrial practices, reports Breaking News.
The Taoiseach also stressed that the consequences of climate change are “not felt equally.”
He continued: “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 Breaking News.
The global climate summit is being held in Belém, in northern Brazil, an area regarded as the “gateway to the Amazon.”
Mr Martin described it as a “place that is both a wonder of nature and a reminder of what is at stake,” reports Breaking News.
The UN’s scientists have recently revealed that this year is projected to be the second or third warmest globally as an “unprecedented streak” of high temperatures continues, reports Breaking News.
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