Mr. Oisín Coghlan:

I thank the Chairman. I will say for the benefit of those watching that we accept the first two carbon budgets are the best we can do. There is probably a little more backloading between the first and second budgets than we would like, but we understand it takes a while to ramp up the actions that will reduce emissions. There is no space for backloading action, even though there will be faster reductions in the second half of the decade compared with the first half.

We do not think, however, the third carbon budget, which from my understanding will not be voted on in the Dáil or Seanad right now, even though it forms part of the carbon budget programme and is not binding until it is voted on by both Houses, is adequate or in line with climate justice. The committee should ask the council to do research on what is Ireland's fair share of the remaining global carbon budget under the Paris Agreement and, specifically therefore, on when Ireland can reach net zero. The council seems to presume we will have a linear path to zero between 2030 and 2050, but 2050 is too late for us to get to net zero. The climate law specifically states we will reach net zero or climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest. Other countries, such as Sweden, Finland and Austria, have adopted earlier timeframes of 2045 and 2040. There is now time for the climate council to do research on what is Ireland's fair share. When the CCAC comes back in three or four years' time with revised versions of the 2031-35 and 2036-40 budgets, it should do so based on explicit published research around our fair share based on climate justice.