EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Ireland’s Environment – An Integrated Assessment 2020 In 2018, the government tasked the Citizens’ Assembly with considering the question of Ireland becoming a leader in climate action. The findings of the Assembly were then considered by a special Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action, which subsequently published its report and recommendations (Houses of the Oireachtas, 2019). Following this, the government published the Climate Action Plan in 2019. In 2020, the new government committed to an average 7 per cent per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030, equivalent to a 51 per cent reduction over the decade and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. New measures are expected to be announced over the next year to realise this ambition. Implementation of the National Policy Position: Mitigation The Climate Action Plan 2019 charts a course towards meeting EU emissions reduction targets for Ireland to 2030 (DCCAE, 2019a). The plan is an important step towards reaching the longer term target of net zero emissions by 2050; however, it assumes a very significant increase in the rate of decarbonisation post 2030. International analysis suggest that early actions can lead to more cost- effective decarbonisation. Systemic change is needed to enable low-carbon technologies and practices to flourish; this has to be aligned with behavioural change to enable individuals, communities, businesses and organisations to play their part. The plan also requires building the required enterprises and upskilling the workforce to enable households and business to adopt low- carbon technologies. In addition, enhanced governance arrangements are envisaged in the plan, including carbon-proofing policies, establishing carbon budgets, a strengthened Climate Change Advisory Council and greater accountability to the Oireachtas. An amendment to the 2015 Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act is needed to give a legislative basis to the Climate Action Plan and to enact in legislation the 2050 climate target. In parallel, Ireland’s Long-term Strategy on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction, which underwent public consultation in late 2019 (DCCAE, 2019b), seeks to identify transition pathways beyond 2030 to 2050 across all key sectors of the economy, including energy, buildings, transport, enterprise, waste, agriculture and land use. Implementation of the National Policy Position: Adaptation In Ireland, the first statutory National Adaptation Framework (NAF) was published in 2018 (DCCAE, 2018a). It sets out the national strategy to reduce the vulnerability of the country to the negative effects of climate change and to avail of positive impacts. The NAF was developed under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. Implementation of the National Policy Position: Other Policies In terms of wider national policy, both the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan (Project 2040; DPER, 2018) are key policy instruments to facilitate the transition to a low- carbon society and economy in Ireland. It is increasingly recognised that climate action is cross-sectoral and will need to incorporate policy developments across a broad range of domains and systems. For example, the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals emphasise the connections and interlinked goals to ensure resilient societies, productive economies, and a healthy environment for present and future generations. The European Green Deal, published in December 2019 (EC, 2019b), is also a broad package of measures to support a sustainable green transition, emphasising a systems approach to tackling climate change. Measures aim to reduce emissions, increase resource efficiency, invest in research and innovation and preserve Europe’s natural environment. It is envisaged that the Green Deal will be a platform for sustainable EU growth, supported by investments in green technologies, sustainable solutions and new businesses. A foundation for the implementation of the Green Deal was the publication of a draft EU Climate Law in March 2020, which would legislate for an EU goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (EC, 2020). 42