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This is an extract from Temperature Check, The Journal’s climate newsletter, which is sending special daily editions for COP27. A more detailed edition was sent yesterday evening on the first day of the conference.
Sign up in the box at the end of this article to receive Temperature Check during COP27 and once a month afterwards to your email inbox for free.
Remember Glasgow?
That’s where we sent the first edition of our climate newsletter from back in November 2021. My former colleague Orla Dwyer reported on COP26 throughout the two weeks of the conference, tracking its highs and lows
As those two weeks progressed, watching the conference play out became almost similar to watching a slow-burning horror film. The protagonists kept creeping further away from where they should be going and all those who were watching could do was shout at the screen.
That was because an initial momentum to have a strong commitment on cutting the use of fossil fuels was watered down until the summit ended with a much-weakened version of what was initially proposed.
On Day One of COP27, there were fears this conference might be heading down the same path – this time, on loss and damage.
Vulnerable nations
“Loss and damage arising from the adverse effects of climate change can include those related to extreme weather events but also slow onset events, such as sea level rise, increasing temperatures, ocean acidification, glacial retreat and related impacts, salinization, land and forest degradation, loss of biodiversity and desertification,” the United Nations explains.
In other words, it’s the way that countries, particularly those most vulnerable, are impacted by the climate crisis.
Importantly, the concept involves how the developed world plans to respond to those impacts, but some countries would rather do less than others.
Despite opposition, loss and damage has made it onto the official agenda – good news – but with stipulations that mean it is already falling short of the progress that campaigners say must be made – not so good news.
“The defining issue of this COP is loss and damage,” Policy and Advocacy Officer at Christian Aid Ireland Ross Fitzpatrick said.
He told me that “for the likes of us civil society [representatives], it’s our main ask”.
“African countries are responsible for 4% of global emissions historically and yet, it is these countries that have experienced the worst impacts on the ground.”
He said the inclusion of loss and damage on the agenda was a win given that it is the first time it has been included on the official agenda of any COP and shouldn’t be discounted. However, the efforts by rich emitters responsible for climate change to water it down mean that “even though it’s there in name, the principles which underline it – namely, the ‘polluter pays’ principle – has been totally undermined”.
Horn of Africa
Head of Policy and Advocacy at Trócaire Siobhan Curran expects that the perception of whether this COP is a success will hinge on loss and damage.
“For us, what’s been thrown into sharp relief this year has been, for example, the situation in the Horn of Africa where the losses and damages that people are experiencing are massive,” she said.
“It’s the poorest people and the poorest countries in the world who are paying the price for this crisis that’s not of their making, so it’s a huge injustice.”
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What concerns people is that the government does not seem to have any intention to limit the number of people who can arrive into Ireland and claim asylum. We are a tiny country with an infrastructure which is already under severe strain and there is only so much we can do. Are we to accept 100k refugees each year forevermore? Being concerned that such a large number of people arriving into Ireland may cause further strain on our hospitals and schools is not racist, it’s simply common sense.
@Michael OKelly: thats one thing Michael and is a legitimate concern. But that is an issue for the government to sort out and we should out pressure on them to come up with a better plan. However, on a human level the treatment of people already here is disgusting. Surely our first instinct should be to help our fellow men and woman?
@Michael OKelly: well said Michael.people need to wake up, also it has to be concerning that all the refugees shown were men which seems to be the norm when they are dropped off at nighttime,
@Michael OKelly: where did you get that 100k figure from. Net immigration last year was circa 68k up massively from the 11k average in previous years due to the Ukrainian situation.
We’ve been trained to clap like performing seals when anyone mentions ‘diversity’. Which is surprising given it has the same root as ‘divide’ and ‘divisive’. Flooding a country with people of different races, religions, histories and beliefs was somehow, never explained how, to be our strength. Ruanda, former Yugoslavia and even up the road in Norn Iron suggest otherwise.
@Tony Murphy: I absolutely can’t stand people like you
@Tony Murphy: Yet ‘Flooding a country with people of different races, religions, histories and beliefs’ was exactly how the world’s richest and most powerful state came about.
@Tony Murphy: Maybe you’ve been trained, good boy, who’s a good boy?
@Joe Philips: can you give me an example of a place in the world where this has been successful?? Honest question.
Time for some one to shout stop , we can take a trickle of refugees not a flood , are there any politicians with a backbone to stand to this .
Apart from Ukraine is it not strange that the only people fleeing war and persecution from all these other countries are young men..No old men,,No old women,,No mother’s,,No children,,just these young men…All bused in which takes some organizing…
In this country anyone that expresses genuine concerns about mass,unvetted,non passport carrying, immigration is regarded as a right wing extremist who sleeps with a copy of Mein Kampf underneath their pillow.
Of course he is correct but it will continue. The authorities (or whatever they call themselves) need to get their act together. There is no control on this issue whatsoever.
Have the government forgotten the old whoever pays the piper calls the tune taxpayers have to fund this mess we are entitled to have a say in who we are paying for roll on elections
“Asylum seekers” more like economic illegal migrants for most of them.
The UN says there are now over 100 million refugees in the world.
There are probably 30-40 countries in the world they want to reach.
The ones in Clare are Algerian which is not at war and does not have an internal conflict. Not does it have direct flights to Ireland.Same as Georgia and Albania.
The government says it has no choice under international law but to house every asylum seeker who comes. I am an Irish worker citizen and taxpayer.
I didn’t ever vote for a government that says it has no power.
This whole thing is insanity and should stop now. The country is full. End of story.
@Gerry Kelly: All the country is full of is farm animals, there’s plenty of room.
@Gerry Kelly: far from full we used to have 8.5 million before we were emigrants and treated as pariah especially in the states on religious grounds. Sounds familiar at the moment.
@Aidan Maher: 8.5 million serfs who’s only food source led to 2 million being killed by a fungus, true heyday it was.
@Garret Fawl: “@Aidan Maher: 8.5 million serfs who’s only food source led to 2 million being killed by a fungus, true heyday it was.”
Do you miss the point or just not understand? I’m inclined to think the latter.
@Chutes: we had a population of 8.5 million when most irish lived in squalor, how is it comparable to now? 200 years ago, and yes the irish were vilified where they went. But ireland has been mostly welcoming thus far, immigration is being handled atrociously at the moment. If your only argument for immigration is sure we had 8 5 million people before the famine, then you don’t have much of an argument.
Sure you can’t control who lives beside you, what about arranging some refugee or social housing in Dalkey, Foxrock, Howth or Castleknock? It’s easy to say I care about asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups if there’s very little chance for them to live right beside your house.
Any genuine refugees should be looked after. Why are all refugees that were supposed to be placed in Inch are men? Most likely because women are extremely vulnerable in countries like Afghanistan and they will never get out. It’s also known that people often pay bribes to get out of their own country as asylum seekers to another country and many women are not financially independent in those countries. Sons of rich parents get out, those that need help the most stay stuck
Stop letting everyone in. We have enough. At this rate we’ll end up destroying our culture. Demographics is destiny.
Varadkar has to get a media headline every single day. I’m sick of looking at him.
@John Fahy: Sure his only the leader of our country,we should never hear from him.
It was fine while we could cater for refugees economic or otherwise but is it not worse and inhumane to invite them in when we can’t even provide for our own 11000 homeless men women and children.
@jp tobin: We can, we actively choose not to, there’s a difference.
Mary Fitzgerald, a FF senator selected by M Martin, said on newstalk this morning that this country has an obligation to take in people affected by climate and economic crises. This is new and not part of the current refugee policy. Is this official FF policy? What is the obligation? Clarity is needed for all on this, regardless of views or stance.
What is WRONG here is FFG housing policies over years of mis governance. These protests allow Leo and crew to ring hands while making sound bite statements but ignoring their responsibilities in creating this crisis.
The Irish government has failed its people due to poor health services, housing shortage, and unchecked vulture funds charging massive rates. Inaction has allowed right-wing nationalism to take hold. Nevertheless, compassion must still be shown towards asylum seekers. While limited resources exist in healthcare and housing, it is vital to remember that asylum seekers are not the cause. The government must allocate resources, create a fast-tracked process for those in need, and return those abusing the system. It’s time for a more just and equitable society for all.
“Nobody gets to say who can and cannot live in their area and we can’t have that kind of situation.” Varadkar has obviously never dealt with county councils when locals are looking for planning permission and get refused for the most ridiculous reasons.
Typical answer from a politician
Gov need to stop telling people their wrong, their opinions are wrong their thoughts are wrong etc, stop diminishing people, it’s not ok. Putting 69 men from another culture into a small country community of 54 population is horrific, that community fear they’ll be persecuted simple as, Gov can’t guarantee they won’t be. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know putting 69 single men together anywhere with nothing to do it’s a recipe for disaster. It was only a couple of weeks ago where we talked about male dominated defence force issues and they had a job to do to occupy themselves and keep them out of trouble yet it didn’t stop them abusing each other. It’s not ok, it’s madness and with barely any Gardai on a normal day I commend this community protecting themselves from the unknown.
@dottiemac: Isn’t the job of government to decide exactly that, what is considered allowable and what is not? How do you think we ended up with a legal system?
@Chutes: no its not cop on…its the people who decide….don’t forget its only the people who can change the constitution not the government….the ultimate ones to make the decision is the people and the government has gone rouge and treasonous for the last 100 years….
@William slevin: Nobody mentioned the Constitution. You can’t keep up at all can? Bless!
@Chutes: your not very bright but pretend to be…the constitution is the supreme law and controls the oireachtas on what the can legally pass…jeez you bring up the legal system….do you know where the legal system comes…I’ll tell you…the legal system comes from the Constitution…who controls the constitution the people…so cop on…your point to dottiemac was that its the government’s job to tell us what’s what and that the people are wrong…well no chutes you are wrong….its the people’s job to tell the government they are wrong…learn about what your talking about before you start spouting nonsense that the people should be told what to do by the government…its the government that should be doing what the people tell them to do….
Re your response about borders that just says it all…you don’t care about the integrity of this nation state and you say your a retired serving member of the defence forces…I’m glad your retired your a traitor to this nation blatantly seek to undermine the integrity of our nation state…
Treason…
Its only Leo’s opinion and this this time he’s wrong. Foisting a large group of foreign folk on a small community in rural Ireland is wrong and deep down he knows he’ll pay for his opinion at the next election. It like 2 fingers to rural Ireland.
They are being brought in on purpose to prop up the economy because Irish women are not having a sufficient amounts of kids. Look at projections for our aging society. Same in USA and UK…
@Paulco: ROFL! You think these ‘asylum seekers’ will boost the economy?? Lord help us all!
The Irish system is not prepared for diversity in terms of culture, work, places to live, etc. I am afraid the politicians are just passing the buck and doing what they are being told to do by Europe. A storm in the making in different places in Ireland.
Let’s stand up to racism by planting men from the middle east into rural ireland. FG 2023.
@Garret Fawl: How is it that you stand up to racism, list the ways for I’m sure there are many?
@Chutes: being concerned about immigration and being anti racist are not mutually exclusive. Humans can hold complex opinions and beliefs simultaneously, but the muppet show that is FG and the general discourse around this issue is only seen in black and white. Sure half the country is far right now, only a matter of time before we’re all goosestepping to seize power in the Dail in a coup.
Refugees are more than welcome here, as far as I’m concerned.
I’d happily swap out a few knuckle-draggers for them.
@Joe Philips: well done Joe how many have you taken or are you just toeing the party line to drown out people who have real concerns and issues why is our homeless list getting bigger every day and being ignored….
People are seeing all these ablebodied men well dressed who appear to be in the prime of life and a picture of health naturally they wonder whatbthe real story is how many countries they bypassed to get to us ,did they have passports and so on .People are not objecting so much to Ukrainians who are genuine refugees but the ayslum seekers and this International protection thing is what’s really bugging people . The cheek of the government who are keeping people in the dark and as good as saying to them ‘ Buzz off and mind ye’re own business, we are in control
@establishment loyalist fascist chutes:
Jeez your getting worse by the day….no you want open borders to the rest of the world…are you mad or what…were a tiny population…if we took in 10% of the world’s population in because I’m sure theirs that many would love to come here that’s 8 hundred million people….let say it was only 1% then that’s 80 million…even got to 0.5% that’s 40 million….the irish people would become 1/10 of the population and the other 9 all foreign born….are you nuts….that’s just pure crazy…
We need to stop mass immigration now in the last 20 years we’ve taken in 1 million….foreign born now account for 20% of our population that weren’t here 20 years ago…
@William slevin: Borders are just lines on a map, they hold no import for me. They are arbitrary and entirely fictional constructs of the powerful! You really can’t keep up at all can you?
In answer to why are so many men involved, men in the family usually flee first to try to establish themselves and send home money. it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out ffs!
@Chutes: this describes economical migrant not an asylum seeker. Asylum seekers are people who are in serious danger and are trying to save their lives by seeking refuge in a different country. It’s a bit different to just coming to the country that has a better standard of living so you can send money home. Asylum seekers can and do apply for protection as a family, there’s no need for a man to go on their own first
@Save Rainforest: Both needs are real, denying them is a waste of otherwise useful time. If they are fleeing war or economic migrants, I’m sure they have at very least their labour to offer in a country with full employment crying out for more workers to fill all the myriad caps.
I don’t care why they came, they all fled a shit situation! I doubt you’d voluntarily live where they came from.
People around here could do to stop being such negative dicks all the time imo and offer aid to those less fortunate or it’s all just an act.
All my personal opinion ofc, do what you will.
@Chutes: ok so, most third and second world countries should be abandoned and those people should be placed in Europe, America, Australia, etc.
Sure, that would work well
@Chutes: “stop being such negative dicks”, great social discourse there.
@Garret Fawl: I’m happy to engage with you should you wish, let’s see what you got!
@Save Rainforest: Whether you like it or not, as I have said, climate change will displace billions.
Where do you suggest they go? Doesn’t matter, they will go where they want regardless, in mass movements.
It can’t be stopped so deal with it as the reality of the times or just bury your head if you will.
Our own kind are homeless starving and dying.. but this government wants to being in more non nationals and not limit the amount.. this is ridiculous and will cripple the economy and create a massive influx of racism due to Irish being Hungary homeless and fed up
It’s time for a referendum on giving citizenship to anyone in the world that shows up in our country.
Are we back to using the term ‘migrant crisis’ again? Have we learned nothing?
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