Ms Karen Egan:

I thank the Deputy for his questions. The 2021 climate Act gives us parameters within which we have had to operate. The analysis that has been done is designed to allow us to reach the targets. The sectoral ceilings will have to add up to the carbon budget. They must not only allow us to reach our 2030 targets, but also put us on track to reaching our 2050 targets. Extensive analysis has been done with all of the other Departments in order to ensure that we can achieve those targets.

Regarding the fair share of lifting, the analysis and engagement that we have undertaken allow us to be realistic about what can be achieved across the various sectors. It has been a collaborative process. The analysis seeks to include a sense of potential distributional impacts, but I must voice a caveat, in that this will all be dependent on the measures and policies that will be implemented to meet the ceilings and carbon budgets. Detailed policy design will need to happen to address all of the issues. Further assessment of the proposals is ongoing, as is further assessment of the impacts with relevant Departments.