The Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, has told UN climate change talks in Bali that developed countries that continue to prevaricate are guilty of a gross dereliction of duty.
In his address to the plenary, Mr Gormley said action to tackle climate change was at the heat of Irish Government policy.
He has told delegates from more than 192 countries that future generations will be harsh in their judgement of developed countries that do not tackle global warming now.
While the US was not mentioned explicitly, his comments will be taken as criticism of their position in Bali. In contrast, he praised Australia by name for signing up to Kyoto.
The Minister contended that there was now a new shade of green in Ireland and outlined Government policies, some of which were announced in the recent Budget.
Mr Gormley said Ireland and all developed countries need to reduce their emissions to 25-40% below 1990 levels by 2020.
Given Irish emissions are 11% above their Kyoto limit, we will face a particularly difficult task.
Global warming a moral challenge - Ban
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told delegates that global warming was 'the moral challenge of our generation'.
He has urged them to make every effort to reach agreement before the conference ends.
Mr Ban warned that failure to act would mean serious global consequences including drought, famine and rising sea levels.
Amid tightened security at the conference venue following the twin bombings in Algiers, representatives are reported to be facing deadlock on several key issues.
Ministers have until Friday to agree a framework for tackling global warming past 2012, when pledges under the Kyoto Protocol expire.
'If we leave Bali without such a breakthrough, we will not only have failed our leaders but also those who look to us to find solutions, namely the peoples of this world,' Mr Ban warned.
He urged ministers to set a deadline of the end of 2009 for wrapping up a deal that curbs greenhouse-gas emissions and helps those who are most at risk from climate change.
In a video message from Oslo, where he received the Nobel peace prize on behalf of the UN climate change panel, Rajendra Pachauri spelt out key points on global warming.
He warned that the unbridled burning of fossil fuels is stoking a greenhouse effect with potentially calamitous consequences.
Mr Pachauri stressed that by the end of this century millions of people, many in poor tropical countries, face the risk of drought, floods, storms and rising sea levels.
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