Introduction
Introduction
This decade will be critical if we are to address the climate and biodiversity crisis threatening our safe future on this planet. The Programme for Government commits to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030 (a 51% reduction over the decade), and to achieving net zero emissions by no later than 2050.
These targets have been made legally binding by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. The Act also provides for a strengthened climate governance framework, including the introduction of carbon budgets and sectoral emission ceilings.
The first two Carbon Budgets were adopted by the Oireachtas and came into effect on 6 April 2022, setting us on a path to achieving our required emission reduction targets. Following on from the adoption of the Carbon Budgets, the Irish Government approved Sectoral Emission Ceilings in July 2022. These ceilings set maximum limits on greenhouse gas emissions for each sector of the Irish economy. These ceilings must operate within the parameters of Ireland's Carbon Budgets, setting out a pathway for Ireland to meet its 2030 and 2050 emission targets.
Achieving these targets will be challenging and will require fundamental changes in many parts of Irish life. In rising to the challenge, we will be able to improve the health, welfare and security of all our people, while also protecting our environment and delivering new opportunities in terms of employment and competitiveness.
In December 2022, Climate Action Plan 2023 (CAP23) was approved by Government and published. This latest update to the Climate Action Plan reflected the Carbon Budgets and Sectoral Emission Ceilings by providing a roadmap of actions and measures to support the achievement of the emission reduction targets set out in the Budgets and Ceilings. CAP23 also included actions, measures, policies and plans for a number of areas central to our climate action that are not directly linked to the Sectoral Emission Ceilings, this includes Adaptation, Research, Governance, Just Transition and International Climate Action.
As required by the 2021 Climate Act, the Government is now beginning to prepare the next annual update to the Climate Action Plan, which will be published later this year and will seek to further develop and refine the actions, measures, policies and plans set out in CAP23; in order to support the achievement of our legally binding 2030 targets, prepare for climate neutrality no later than 2050, and make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change.
As with Climate Action Plan 2023, the new Climate Action Plan will have a strong focus on implementation, including actions with specific timelines and steps needed to achieve each action, assigning clear lines of responsibility for delivery. It will be informed by successful approaches in other countries, where such approaches could be adapted for implementation in Ireland.
As part of this consultation, you are invited to consider the cross-sectoral and sector-specific implications of the overall increase in climate ambition set out above, and to set out proposals for additional policies and measures across sectoral areas, including estimations of the associated greenhouse gas emissions reductions and/or increased resilience to the locked-in climate change impacts.
In addition to completing our consultation questionnaire, we would also like to hear your evidence-based views grounded in a comprehensive cross-sectoral perspective on the changes required to meet Ireland’s Carbon Budgets, Sectoral Emission Ceilings and 2030 and 2050 climate ambition, including in relation to key systemic choices.
This consultation is open until 17:30 on Friday 14 July 2023 and submissions can be made online through our consultation platform. If you have difficulties submitting a response online, or would like to make a submission by post, email or through Irish please email us at CallforEvidence@decc.gov.ie.
Please note that responses to this consultation are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 (FOI), Access to Information on the Environment Regulations 2007-2014 (AIE) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
The Department may publish the contents of all submissions received to this consultation on its website, the Department will redact personal data prior to publication. In responding to this consultation, parties should clearly indicate where their responses contain personal information, commercially sensitive information or confidential information which they would not wish to be released under FOI, AIE or otherwise published.
We would like to draw your attention to the Department's Data Privacy Notice which explains how and when we collect personal data, why we do so and how we treat this information. It also explains your rights in relation to the collection of personal information and how you can exercise those rights.