The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 is officially in place after President Michael D. Higgins signed the bill into law today.
The act signals the commencement of Ireland’s legally binding aim to achieve net-zero emissions by no later than 2050.
Although sectoral emissions targets have yet to be determined, the act commits Ireland to a 51% reduction in emissions by the end of this decade.
Climate Act – next steps
The next stage of the process will be the preparation of regulations on carbon accounting, in consultation with the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) and consistent with the Paris Agreement and EU rules.
This will be followed by the production of carbon budgets by the (CCAC), which will be presented to the Oireachtas and approved by government.
The government will then set sectoral targets/ceilings determining how each sector of the economy will contribute to the achievement of the budgets.
The Climate Action Plan 2021 will be published in early autumn and will set out the measures to be taken to reach our targets in each sector of the economy.
Some key highlights of the act:
- It provides for a national climate objective, which commits to pursue and achieve no later than 2050, the transition to a climate resilient, biodiversity-rich, environmentally-sustainable and climate-neutral economy;
- It provides that the first two five-year carbon budgets proposed by the CCAC should equate to a total reduction of 51% over the period to 2030;
- All forms of greenhouse gas emissions including biogenic methane will be included in the carbon budgets, and carbon removals will be taken into account in setting budgets;
- The government will determine, following consultation, how to apply the carbon budget across the relevant sectors, and what each sector will contribute in a given five-year period;
- Local authorities must prepare individual Climate Action Plans to be updated every five years.
Commenting, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan said:
“The extreme weather events around the world over the past month have shown us all that we must act quickly, to protect ourselves and our planet.
“We will all need to work together to achieve this, in renewable energy, active and sustainable travel, in business, agriculture and across government. But the signal we are sending today is that now is the time for action.”
The Climate Action Plan 2021 will be published in early autumn and this will set out the measures to be taken to reach our targets in each sector of the economy.