Labour Environment Policy

Simon has been harping on about cars and power stations for ages and he might just have to vote labour for it. They released their environment policy earlier today (well, yesterday at this rate) with a couple of eye-catching proposals which I think are a good idea. Bertie has already stressed the “fourth level” factor and the importance of R&D to the economy, the policy proposes a Centre of Excellence to carry out extensive research on climate change technology as well as R&D for renewable energy and technologies to speed up the move to a carbon-neutral economy by 2030.

There are the binding targets to reduce emissions and the commitments to cleaner transport/improved public transport. This includes a proposal to increase the number of dry-ports around the country service them by rail and boost the amount of freight carried by rail (since a rail freight journey produces 80% less carbon). AS well as making 50% of the ESB renewable by 2020 and mandate Bord na Mona to become a bio-mass provider.

The measures on agriculture appear less clear cut and bar growing bio-fuel crops there is no concrete ‘way out’ of agriculturally produced carbon-jeez, another reason for Simon to vote labour ; ) . This is likely to be interesting since farmers are more militant than other sectors and are likely to be tough negotiators in relation too carbon.

I think one would be justified in being slightly sceptical at the possibility for effectiveness that drawing climate change into partnership will have. Over recent years issues such as rights, entitlements, welfare etc have come under the rubric of partnership but ultimately little new is done in those areas. Social partnership remains a pay agreement with pre-agreed policies tagged on. In order to make this one different the process would need significant reform (perhaps chiming with the Fine Gael intuition on this but not that of constituent unions). While it is not an idea to be denigrated, its symbolic importance could be more substantial than the contribution it makes.

I think though that there are a good number of solid sensible and pragmatic proposals in this that might not go as far as the Green’s wish (I think that is true on the targets but would have to check my maths in the morning) but certainly show there is a good deal of common ground between the putative government partners and by default, one should think, Fine Gael.