Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

100 Chapter 4: Climate Change Recognising that climate mitigation and biodiversity action need to be incorporated into our adaptation responses means that we must choose nature-based solutions where possible to reduce our emissions and support biodiversity. There is a limit to what infrastructure can achieve, and there is a need for dynamic and robust emergency planning and response systems and services to manage extreme events as they occur and to protect vulnerable populations in particular. Effective climate adaptation is needed to avoid unequal health and wellbeing outcomes for communities and to realise the opportunities and benefits for individuals, public health and society. These include more green and blue spaces, more secure water and food supplies, improved indoor and outdoor air quality, increased active mobility and better-quality housing. Care must be taken to avoid maladaptation or actions that result in unequal health and wellbeing outcomes for affected populations, and adaptations should therefore be routinely assessed. Ireland, as a small and open economy, is vulnerable to supply chain risks and climate change impacts and responses that occur in other parts of the world. Local risks to businesses are likely to arise from changes in extreme events. The scale of climate change risks for the banking and financial sectors has yet to be quantified, and climate risks are not currently reflected well in insurance, investment and lending. The ICCA report highlights that climate adaptation is too slow and fragmented. Doing better requires more financing, working with people and nature, monitoring and evaluating outcomes and increasing public and private sector involvement. Importantly, a number of key developments have happened in recent years to help build the evidence base and inform national adaptation planning and decision-making. Adaptation governance and planning The new National Adaptation Framework (NAF) was published in 2024 and forms the basis of adaptation governance in Ireland’s Climate Action Plan. A number of areas have been introduced or strengthened under the new NAF, including: ■ the development of updated sectoral adaptation plans and the inclusion of a plan for the tourism sector, and the planning sector (as a scoping exercise) ■ strengthened adaptation governance ■ recognition of the principle of just resilience ■ recognition of the importance of engagement and resourcing for adaptation ■ ongoing development of the evidence base ■ improved adaptation plan design and objective development ■ monitoring and evaluation. In addition, since 2021, the Adaptation Committee of the Climate Change Advisory Council has a statutory role in providing policy advice on adaptation and resilience to the Government. Second iteration sectoral adaptation plans are due to be completed in 2025. The Climate Action Plan and the NAF indicate that there will be increased emphasis on monitoring and progress reporting in the future, with particular focus on meaningful adaptation indicators. The EPA and Transport Infrastructure Ireland have completed a pilot study to provide general recommendations to support the adoption of adaptation indicators across all sectors. Climate action regional offices were established in 2018 and local authority training has been ongoing across the sector on climate action including on the leadership role that councils can take on climate change. Under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, every local authority must produce a climate action plan covering mitigation, adaptation and citizen engagement. These plans were published in April 2024. Adaptation evidence base The National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS), led by Met Éireann, coordinates the standardisation of national climate data and facilitates collaboration between the producers and users of climate information. The NFCS is underpinned by the TRANSLATE suite of standardised climate projections for Ireland (O’Brien and Nolan, 2023), which are provided for adaptation planning through the Climate Ireland platform. Climate services and data are also provided by several national stakeholders including the EPA, the Office of Public Works, Geological Survey Ireland and the Marine Institute as well as adademic institutions. Led by the EPA, Climate Ireland is a national adaptation platform providing climate and risk maps, capacity building and training, and risk assessment and adaptation planning guidance. It also convenes the Climate Ireland Adaptation Network for practitioners working in adaptation and holds an associated annual adaptation seminar.