Mr. Paddy Mahon:

On behalf of the CCMA, I welcome the opportunity to appear before the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action and help inform its consideration of the carbon budgets. I am joined by David Mellett from the, Atlantic Seaboard North CARO.

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act frames Ireland's legally binding climate ambition in delivering a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 51% by 2030. More recently, the climate action plan has set specific objectives for the public sector, which includes local government, regarding energy efficiencies and emission reduction, that include: improving the energy efficiency from the 33% target in 2020 to 50% by 2030; delivering a 51% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 from local government operations; upgrading local authority housing stock to B2 or better; retrofitting national public lighting stock; reducing emissions from the local authority fleet and taking a leadership role in low-emission transport options; delivering a decarbonisation zone within its administrative area that will become the focus for a range of climate mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity measures; and preparing a local authority climate action plan at least once every five years, containing both mitigation and adaptation measures.

Under the system of carbon budgeting established by the Act, the Climate Change Advisory Council has proposed three five-year economy-wide carbon budgets, covering the periods 2021 to 2025, 2026 to 2030 and 2031 to 2035, to assist the State in achieving its national climate objectives and greenhouse gas emissions targets agreed by the European Union. The CCMA recognises and agrees with the approach to: “balance the urgency for era-defining change and practical feasibility while also providing a 51% reduction in the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions from 2018 by 2030.” These carbon budget proposals look to align with the specific objectives and targets set out for the local government sector in the climate action plan 2021.

We are not starting from a standing start. By 2019, local authorities had saved 28% over the 2009 baseline, which is equivalent to 123,000 tonnes of avoided CO2 emissions. Local authorities are building on these successes and working towards the new national 50% energy efficiency and 51% emission reduction targets for the sector.

We are committed to adhering to our carbon budgets through improvement works to our public lighting, offices, housing stock, leisure centres, infrastructure and transport fleet, and by prioritising green procurement, the circular economy and investing in decarbonisation projects. We are also committed to providing appropriate climate action training, with the support of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications to all our 29,000 employees and our 942 elected members.

Operationally, it is important to note that while local authorities are generally responsible for less than 5% of our administrative areas' emissions, we are well positioned in our communities with already established engagement in climate action to also take on a broader role of influencing and facilitating others to meet their targets.

Local authorities are committed to engage with and empower local communities and enterprises to embrace climate action by using existing and enhanced local authority structures, operations and networks.

The local authority climate action charter, which was signed by every one of the 31 local authorities in October 2019, confirms the sector's commitment to scale up efforts and to play a key leadership role locally and nationally in delivering effective climate action. It is increasingly clear that responsibility for climate action extends across several Departments and organisations. As a sector, however, local government can act as a conduit to lead a just transition locally in order to ensure a co-ordinated local response to climate change, bringing our communities, businesses and staff along with us.

Set against the backdrop of an evolving and increasing ambition of national climate policy in recent years, the local authority sector has developed Delivering Effective Climate Action 2030, a strategy for the sector to deliver on the commitments of the climate action charter and to maximise the 31 local authorities' collective impact on Ireland's national climate action targets. In Delivering Effective Climate Action 2030, an overarching commitment on leadership is highlighted to ensure a coherent approach to climate action across the administrative and political structures of all 31 local authorities. The sectoral vision identified in this strategy is to leverage the capability, reach and resources of local authorities to effectively lead and co-ordinate climate action across Ireland. Our mission is to deliver transformative change and measurable climate action across our cities and counties and within our organisations through leadership, example and mobilising action at local level.

We have identified six key goals: to foster governance, leadership and partnerships for climate action; to achieve our carbon emissions and energy efficiency targets for 2030 and 2050; to deliver on climate adaptation and climate resilience; to mobilise climate action in local communities; to mobilise climate action in enterprise and to support the transition to a net-zero and circular economy; and to achieve a just transition. Delivering Effective Climate Action 2030 has identified a number of additional resources required within the sector to deliver on our climate action ambitions and to work with our stakeholders to ensure that actions for emissions reductions, building climate resilience and behavioural change are designed to be inclusive and to make this a transition for all.

I thank the committee. I am happy, along with my colleague, Mr. Mellett, to take any questions members may have.