Environmentalists say that the Isle of Man is not doing enough to help battle climate change.

Earlier this month the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that the world had 12 years to tackle the issue or it could be too late to stop the global temperature rise by more than 1.5C.

The island’s Minister for the Environment, Food and Agriculture, Geoffey Boot, said that there were ’competing priorities’ for government money - such as the health service.

He said spending more resources on tackling climate change would be difficult.

’We cannot do this because of something that may happen in the future,’ he said. ’It would be difficult to tell people "you cannot have your cancer care or heart attack care". Balancing that from a government perspective is difficult.’

His choice of the word ’may’ might surprise many since more than 95% of climate change scientists say that man-made climate change is definitely happening.

Mr Boot said: ’Eight-five thousand people on island in the Irish Sea can lead by example but we won’t change the environment climatically on our own.’

He accepted that there did appear to more ’weather events’ but, rather than specifically saying they were due to man-made climate change, he said: ’There are cycles and things do change.

’It does seem to me that there is evidence around the world that there seems to be more of these events. Whether it is cyclic or not remains to be seen.’

Does this mean Mr Boot is a climate sceptic?

’I’m not a sceptic,’ Mr Boot replied. ’I look at things in a practical sense. I want to know that if we’re doing things we’re doing them for the right reasons.

’At the moment the Isle of Man has set its course and I agree with the way we’re going. I think it’s going to be difficult.

’The climate change panel has moved the goalposts dramatically. And, at the moment, whilst we’re analysing the data, I’m finding it very difficult to get my mind around how we can meet those goals with our present trajectory within the finances available.’

The UK government aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels).

Last year, the government initiated a licensing application round to explore the seabed for oil and gas deposits a few miles off the coast of Maughold.

Mr Boot said that it could be worth millions of pounds to the Isle of Man and said it was one of the cleanest forms of fossil fuel.

The plan prompted the Isle of Man Friends of the Earth to launch a petition to ’prevent fracking the Irish sea’, which closed after accumulating 1,844 signatures.

Andrew Jessopp, chairman of Zero Waste Mann, said we needed to be more sustainable in the way we live, reducing our consumption of both energy and materials.

’On the topic of carbon resources, our view is it should be left in the ground. The idea is just nonsense,’ he said.

’We are about to spend millions raising the sea wall. Why are we doing that if climate change is not affecting us?’

Pete Christian, of Isle of Man Friends of the Earth, said: ’The very phrase climate sceptic is misleading. The science of climate change is established beyond all doubt, anyone trying to water it down is not a sceptic, but a denier.’

He pointed out the pledge to cut emissions by 80% by 2050 was adopted by Tynwald in 2013.

’FoE has always feared that not attaching meaningful interim targets was a recipe for inaction, sadly this has proved to be the case.

’We are the only jurisdiction in Europe with no interim emission reduction targets, and no renewable energy targets.’

Mr Christian said new charging points for electric vehicles were welcome, but much more needed to be done.

’The island is the perfect place where electric vehicles are the right choice as their range increases,’ he said.

’Speaking about electric vehicle uptake in July Tynwald, Mr Boot said "there is little we can do to drive that process". I profoundly disagree, it’s a political choice".’

Mr Christian said the island should instead be focusing on wind and solar energy, adding that, surprisingly, Andreas has most annual sunshine of anywhere in the British Isles.

His proposals include building an on-shore wind farm and launching a green tariff for electricity use and providing a proper out of town park and ride, with free shuttle buses.

Mr Christian added: ’Exploration for gas off Maughold flies in the face of the fact that 80% of existing fossil fuel deposits must be left in the ground to limit climate change.’

George Fincher, of the Manx Energy Advice Centre, said Mr Boot made ’misleading statements aimed at covering up the government’s inadequate actions to reduce emissions’ .

’Mr Boot claims he is not a climate change denier yet the whole gist of (what he says) is classic climate denier speak.

’He talks of ’if’ climate change happens, whilst the IPCC report makes it clear that climate change "is" happening and "is" caused by human activity. All countries need to do their part to reduce emissions. This includes leaving gas in the ground, the opposite of the recently announced seabed exploration licence - clearly at odds with the Biosphere reserve status,’ he said.