One of the most pernicious and intellectually lazy arguments is the familiar nugget – that “Ireland’s emissions are too small to matter”. That is precisely what international legal and diplomatic efforts on climate action are designed to achieve. The global climate imperative aligns perfectly with our national interest in energy security, biodiversity recovery, public health and economic modernisation. It’s correct that cutting Ireland’s emissions will not, on its own, protect Ireland from climate impacts. So the next time you hear someone claim “we’re too small to matter”, ask if they pay their taxes.

Source: The Irish Times December 02, 2025 05:33 UTC