What will Ireland’s role be in COP31?

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

The Hard Shoulder, with Ciara Kelly and Shane Colman, on Newstalk, with Ciara.

Shane Colman (0:08)

Now, it is day two of COP31 in Antalya, in Turkey. We are joined by the former Green Party leader and former government minister, Eamon Ryan. Eamon, thanks indeed for talking to us. Day two, how are things going?

Eamon Ryan (0:23)

Well, I think it's going well. I mean, as usual, it's huge and slightly chaotic. But that doesn't, that's not the key issue. Where is the politics at? I think more than anything else, I suppose, in the last two weeks, that has changed. The fact that the Serbian election went the way it did, the fact that the Brazilian election, actually, I think that's probably even more significant in a way than the midterms in the US. Both are significant, but particularly had we lost Brazil to an anti-climate government agenda, that would have been really, really difficult. But those three results in the last two weeks have changed the atmosphere, I think.

And so, I think it's, this is not a cop where there's going to be huge things to be negotiated, or everyone waiting on the edge of their seats, as will they, won't they. It is what they call an implementation cop. It's focusing on how do we actually deliver now. And in, and a lot of the time, it's not just in the negotiation rooms, it's all the side rooms where people meet to think, how do we do this? How do we finance it? Do we have the people to do it?

How do we bring people with us? And I think that's, so it's not a hold the front page dramatic story, but it is actually really important that we focus on that and really start delivering the emissions reductions we need to make. So in that sense, I think there's a positive atmosphere, and I think particularly because of some of those recent elections.

Shane Colman (1:50)

You mentioned those recent elections. I mean, will we still get the big array of world leaders here, or is this a more low-key event, a more low-key cup?

Eamon Ryan (2:00)

It is lower key. I mean, there are President Lula, actually after that election is coming, Andy Burnham from the UK and others.

But no, it's not, I don't think it should be like, it's not something for grandstanding or for the kind of the big lofty speeches. I think it is, it's like a convention where those who are implementing the change come together to think, okay, how do we do it? How do we go further and how do we go faster? And yes, there is a legal aspect to it or there is a negotiated aspect. And yes, there's kind of key, for example, this cop is very much hoaxing on electrification, and as is everywhere now because we realize reliance on fossil fuels leads you exposed. High gas prices, oil prices are the biggest political issue in the world today right across the world because it's really crippling people.

And therefore electrification allows a way out of that, allows you not to be on the hook. Whatever happens in the Middle East or in Ukraine. So I think that's probably the other area where there's a real focus. How do we electrify everything? And how do we share best practice in that regard?

Shane Colman (3:05)

You mentioned electrification, but I'm also told methane is another issue that is really under the spotlight. Now obviously that would potentially have a huge impact on Ireland.

Where is the focus likely to be in relation to methane?

Eamon Ryan (3:21)

Yeah, and I have a particular interest, I suppose, to declare, I suppose. I'm working now for an organization called the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. And that's a body based within the UN Environmental Agency, which brings together 200 governments and other institutions together to think about how do we reduce methane.

And just to reflect, the Secretary General, António Guterres, last July, June, put a call for action on methane. And that was in the cross four, so methane, natural gas would be an example of methane. Or from agriculture, we get it from cows burping and so on.

Shane Colman (3:56)

90% of our methane comes from agriculture, doesn't it? And 29% of our greenhouse emissions come from methane.

Eamon Ryan (4:04)

Yeah, and what António Guterres was saying firstly, we're in real trouble. Climate is accelerating. We need to pull an emergency break. And by reducing methane, because it's a short-lived climate gas, but very, very virulent, if you can reduce that, it gives you immediate gain in keeping temperature increased down. So he called for it and he called for nine actions.