The next ten years are critical if we are to address the climate and biodiversity crisis which threatens 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 2050. This will be challenging and will require fundamental changes in so 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.

The Government has decided to prepare the next Climate Action Plan, which will set out actions that must be taken in order to ensure we deliver on the commitments in the Programme for Government, including making sure we achieve our 2030 targets, prepare for climate neutrality no later than 2050, and make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change.

As with the Climate Action Plan 2019, the new 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, we are all invited to consider the cross-sectoral and sectoral 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 the consultation questionnaire, we are asked to submit our evidence-based views grounded in a comprehensive cross-sectoral perspective on the changes required to meet Ireland’s 2030 and 2050 climate ambition, including in relation to key systemic choices.

This consultation is open until 17.30 18 May 2021 and submissions can be made online through the 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 them at CallforEvidence@decc.gov.ie

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You can download our report written by Mindy O'Brien and Tad Kirakowski, just click on the link to the left.

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