Statement from Minister O’Brien on the outcome of COP30

From Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien:

Ireland supports the decision by the European Union to accept the COP30 Presidency text. This was not a choice made lightly and our support is underpinned by profound concerns: the Presidency text falls short of meaningful ambition on the most critical issue of our time – reducing emissions to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. In particular, it fails to include a credible roadmap for the phase-out of fossil fuels, a step more than 80 countries, including Ireland, called for earlier this week. Nevertheless, we look forward to continuing work, outside of the COP process, with the EU and other international partners on shaping a roadmap for the energy transition and the phase out of fossil fuels.

Ireland believes that prevention is always better than cure. The EU remains fully committed to supporting developing countries, including through increased adaptation finance. But the world knows that without strong mitigation now, the scale and cost of adaptation later will only grow. It makes economic, environmental, and moral sense to act decisively today to prevent far greater harm tomorrow.

This is a difficult moment for multilateralism and it is a reality check for the EU’s place in this new world. But the EU is on the right side of this story. This is neither a step forward nor a step back. This is important. Any lowering of ambition when the science, the public, and the moment demand the opposite would not have been accepted.

While we appreciate the work of the Brazilian Presidency, this process is not simply about negotiating text. It is about protecting lives, protecting communities, and protecting the future. We owe it to the integrity of the COP process, and more importantly to our people and our planet, to maintain the fight for a fair, effective, and ambitious global response to the climate crisis. We take that forward now for COP31 when Ireland will be in the EU Presidency role. That work begins now.