Ireland should appoint a Commissioner for Long-Term Thinking to advise on adapting to climate change, according to a report compiled for the Environmental Protection Agency.
The authors of the report say climate is not recognised as an immediate problem and that even people who experience its adverse effects in Ireland do not connect them to climate change.
Short-term priorities take precedence, and the report cites one interviewee who says "some people just hope climate change will change nothing, so they won’t have to change anything".
The three academics from Dublin City University - Dr Alice Brawley-Chesworth, Dr Darren Clarke and Dr Danny Marks - looked at barriers to climate adaptation in three sectors: agriculture, flood risk management, and water quality and supply.
They interviewed people working in government as well as in the private and not-for-profit sectors.
Interviewees said that while there are progressive laws and policies in place, implementation is undermined by a lack of enforcement, knowledge and resources.
While radical change is needed, this can often be disruptive which leads to resistance.
One interviewee who works in government said: "When something is established it’s very hard to change it without there being a loser, and the loser is invariably going to protest. And the scientific evidence might not get as much priority in those situations over the existing interest."
Looking at the barriers to climate adaptation in agriculture, the report finds that mixed messages, distrust among farmers of the advice they are being given, and the power of the agriculture lobby undermines the case for action.
One interviewee said: "Farmers invested a lot in expanding, they did exactly what they were told to do, they were told by politicians, they were told by the media, they were told by Teagasc… and now they’re being told that that was all wrong."
Uncertainty among farmers about what the regulations will be in the future also discourages investment in adaptation.
While the report finds that good progress has been made on flood management, there are still significant barriers.
Flood risk is still often seen as a future problem, with one government interviewee saying: "It’s very hard to get people to pay for things in the future, and that’s across everything like health insurance, pensions - people don’t pay today for things that they’re not going to see a benefit of until a long time in the future."
Those against investing now included one government employee with responsibility for flood management.
"We don’t have the money. We shouldn’t be spending billions a year in 2024 building massive infrastructure for something that’s not going to happen for 70 years - so I think we need a plan to go from where we are to what we expect in 2100."
Another issue was the preference for hard engineering or structural flood barriers and resistance to alternatives.
Another interviewee gave an example. "The playground was built in such a way that it can flood ... so we get to use that as a recreation facility 360 days a year, and … as a flood storage location for five days of the year.
"And in my opinion, that’s a win-win situation. But to many members of the public that’s an utter disgrace [because] I can’t use it five days a year."
When it comes to the water sector, the lack of awareness among the public was identified as a barrier, with one comment saying: "No one believes we’ve got a problem with water quantity for a start, or that we will.
"It’s very hard in a country that receives so much rainfall … that water quantity can be seen as a problem. Yet it is already a problem. But it’s not taken seriously."
Several interviewees were in favour of the reintroduction of usage charges for water, with one saying "I think people take it for granted, especially because we don’t pay for it. We turn on the tap, and there it is - free [sic].
"So, they don’t know how that water is produced. When they flush the toilet, they don’t really understand where it goes."
The authors say recent history with water charges means it is unlikely they would be reintroduced.
They recommend a Government information campaign on water quality and water services and that information on water should be embedded in the school curriculum.
They also call for greater engagement of the public on climate adaptation in general and flood risks. On agriculture, they recommend clear and tangible adaptation goals for farmers.
They also call for a national conversation on food systems, writing: "Many studies, including this one, have found that the current agri-food system is not supporting environmental quality or the livelihoods of the majority of farmers."
They also call for a commissioner to promote long-term and point to the example of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, saying the office would need to be supported with financial and other resources.
They point to previous research which indicates that the Irish public believe politicians should be doing more to promote climate action and argue "a clear message is needed from the highest levels of government that the welfare of people and tackling the climate crisis are more important than short-term economic growth".
