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

Ireland’s Environment – An Integrated Assessment 2020 7. Research Central to informing actions on climate change are national and international research and data from systematic observations made in the atmosphere, in the oceans and on land. Innovation 2020 is Ireland’s 5-year strategy for research and development, science and technology. In 2018, the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) published research priority areas for 2018-2023 (DBEI, 2018), which revised the themes and priority areas established in 2012. The most significant changes have been to the ‘Energy’ theme. Based on developments since 2012, including the urgent need to address climate change and sustainability challenges, this theme has evolved and been renamed ‘Energy, Climate Action and Sustainability’, with the two priority areas being updated to ‘Decarbonising the Energy System’ and ‘Sustainable Living’. Work is currently being undertaken by the DBEI to develop a successor to Innovation 2020, offering an opportunity to reinforce climate as a key tenet in the next national research and innovation strategy. The EPA has a statutory role in the coordination of environmental research in Ireland, which includes climate research. Since 2016, the EPA has funded over 90 research projects relevant to the Climate area, representing a commitment of €18 million. These projects were funded mostly under the Climate and Sustainability Pillars of the EPA Research Programme 2014-2020. The country’s climate science research capacity and supporting infrastructure are key national resources to inform action on climate change. Ireland’s dependency and urgency for climate research has never been greater as it transitions to a climate-neutral economy and climate neutrality by 2050 and asks citizens and businesses to undertake behavioural, lifestyle and cultural changes. Research informs understanding and provides evidence of the current and projected impacts of climate change and action on the Irish environment, society and economy. It also informs policy development and enables an assessment of its effectiveness as the country plans and implements climate action, mitigation and adaptation measures. At an international level, the importance of research on climate change is epitomised by the work of the IPCC, the UN body responsible for assessing the science related to climate change. It provides authoritative information on the scientific understanding of climate change and responses to mitigate climate change through actions to reduce emissions and enhance removals by sinks for carbon such as forests. Its reports inform policy, from UN to national levels. Ireland strongly supports the work of the IPCC and hosted key meetings for the delivery of the Special Report on Climate Change and Land (IPCC, 2019b). This and other IPCC reports also reflect the research carried out by scientists in Ireland. The EPA leads on the development and coordination of climate change research in Ireland. Under the EPA Research Strategy 2014-2020, climate research is advanced along four thematic areas: n understanding GHG emissions and removal, and options to manage these n Ireland’s future climate, projected impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptation options n socio-economic solutions, technological solutions and transition to a net zero emissions, climate- resilient Ireland in 2050 n air pollutants and their impacts on heath, ecosystems and climate. These areas are currently under review, as part of the preparation of the new EPA Research Strategy, which is due to be published in 2021. The EPA also provides regular assessments of findings from climate research in Ireland and linked work at European and global levels that can inform effective science-based actions in Ireland. Details of the EPA research programme and research publications can be found at www.epa.ie. The Climate Research Coordination Group (CRCG) was established under the EPA 2014-2020 Research Strategy. The CRCG acts to coordinate climate change- related research in Ireland. It does so by supporting and promoting coordination between relevant research funding organisations and by providing a forum for the exchange of information on activities and plans. A key objective is to advance shared strategic objectives for climate change research and ensure coherence in climate change research investments in Ireland and the effective linking of these to EU funding streams. The EPA has prepared on behalf of the CRCG the first two reports on the CRCG Activities, namely: n First Report of Activities (June 2017-December 2018) n Second Report of Activities (January-December 2019). The next report is due in June 2021. The EPA, along with Met Éireann, the Marine Institute and Teagasc, coordinates the development of observations systems in the atmosphere, oceans and land. These data, including temperature, rainfall, vegetation, river flows, ocean colour and sea level data, contribute to our understanding of the trends and changes that are happening around us, which go largely unnoticed on a day-to-day basis but which point to a potentially changed Ireland in the future. 56