Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank all our speakers today. It was very interesting. On just transition, the Bill does not mention just transition at all. There is no reference to it at all. There is a reference to climate justice, however. The representative from NESC said he believed that climate justice also took in the issue of just transition within its framework and remit. Does the witness see the need for a specific reference to just transition within the Bill?

It seems there are a lot of questions over how we would meet a just transition. The Department said it is not clear yet which policy, regulatory and legal measures are most effective. I believe there is a need for parallel processes, once the Bill is enacted, to actually nut out and really look at what policies could be implemented effectively.

It was mentioned that there is a just transition commission in Scotland. Would NESC see that as something that could be part of the solution for us to ensure we do have a just transition as we move away from our high carbon economy?

On the climate action unit, the Department witnesses repeatedly mention barriers to implementation and the need to tackle these, but there is no indication of what those barriers are. Could they outline what those specific barriers are and how they can be overcome?