Green Party leader Eamon Ryan is calling for public support for action on climate change in advance of a Cabinet meeting on climate legislation and the National and Economic and Social Council paper on climate policy.

Mr Ryan said: "The paper from the National Economic and Social Council shows that a radical shift to a carbon neutral Ireland is achievable and would bring real social economic and environmental benefits for our country. The problem is that there is no political support for making that change happen. Short term political gain is defeating climate science at every turn.

"Our Government does not see that investing in resource efficiency can provide just the economic and employment stimulus that we now need. Their flawed economic analysis does not value the fact that this change will also bring a healthier and more cohesive society.

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"The failure of our Government to support a mandatory 2030 target for emission reductions is one clear sign of their lack of political support. NESC says that the force for change has to come from the bottom up but at the same time every agency of the state is talking its signal from the top that this is not an area where we want to show a lead.

"That blockage will only be removed when the Irish public demands change. We need to inspire people with a common understanding that by meeting our obligation to the next generation we can also secure a new form of prosperity today. That prosperity would also bring a sense of common purpose and it will have the great advantage of being built to last.

"We have shown in recent years what can be done, in 2011 our emissions fell 7% in one year alone but everything this Government is doing is now undermining that progress. Our food policy tilts us towards more processed, much travelled food, investment in public transport has been abandoned, spending on clean energy is being stalled and we are undoing the good work that has been done to support recycling in recent years."

(CD/GK)