Following the worst coastal storms and tidal surges in many years, the Green Party is urging Government to lead a process with Local Authorities to develop Local Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies to help future-proof at-risk communities and assist in their efforts to adapt to changing climate and increasingly frequent extreme weather events.

"We can only attribute the events of recent weeks to a changing climate when in the future we have the ability to look retrospectively on medium and long-term trends. What is clear, however, is that climate modelling is telling us that extremes of weather, and the frequency of such events, will become a regular feature of our future weather. Our own National Climate Change Strategy signals a clear role for Local Authorities in leading adaptation and mitigation strategies," said Green Party Environment Spokesperson, Councillor Malcolm Noonan.

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"Government should use the new cycle and reformed Local Government structures to lead a collaborative process with communities to develop strategies to firstly move towards decarbonisation, and secondly, prepare, plan, implement and monitor local strategies to deal with coastal erosion, storms, flooding, drought and other consequences of climate change. Giving ownership of such plans to communities is vital and will produce other knock on benefits to local economies and social inclusion."

The Green Party argues that Local Authorities and emergency services are under-resourced at present to deal with the scale of the storms of recent weeks and that it was due to the heroics of the people at the frontline that any loss of life was prevented.

(CD)