The employers group, IBEC, has warned the Government that its climate change strategy is 'unbalanced' and, unless it is changed, it could have a hugely negative effect on competitiveness while achieving no environmental benefit.
The statement follows a report last week from the European Environment Agency, which found that Ireland is the worst offender in the EU in failing to curb its greenhouse gas emissions.
IBEC claims that Ireland's National Climate Change Strategy is not working because it is mainly focused on the industrial and energy sectors and overlooks significant possibilities which exist for changes elsewhere.
It has stated that the NCCS, which was published in 2000 and is currently under review, needs urgent change or it could potentially damage the significant economic and social progress made in the country over the past decade.
