The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action will meet today (Tuesday, November 16) to discuss carbon budgets and Ireland’s Climate Action Plan.
Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, and Transport Eamon Ryan will be in attendance at this meeting, which takes place from 4:30p.m in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House.
Ambitious targets for this decade
Speaking ahead of the meeting, committee chair and Green Party TD Brian Leddin said:
“In the context of the COP26 meeting in Glasgow, the upcoming legally-binding carbon budgets and the Climate Action Plan are critical to Ireland’s contribution to keeping the planet from warming over 1.5°C.
“The committee looks forward to discussing with the minister how Ireland can meet its ambitious targets for this decade.”
The Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action has 14 members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.
Tomorrow (Wednesday, November 17) the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will discuss carbon sequestration and storage in agriculture, with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Teagasc and Devenish present.
Carbon budgets and Climate Action Plan
It was confirmed in late October that the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) submitted its proposal for Ireland’s first carbon budget programme to Minister Ryan.
The carbon budgets set out the path to cut Ireland’s national emissions by 51% by 2030, across all sectors of the economy.
Carbon budgets prescribe the maximum amount of greenhouse gases that may be emitted over a specific period of time in the state.
The announcement of the national Climate Action Plan followed in early November, with a target set for agriculture.
The sector will have to cut its greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions by between 22% and 30% by the end of this decade.
A specific target remains to be set, but this will be a matter for the Oireachtas to debate and decide.