Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair and members of the committee for inviting me here as part of the enhanced climate governance and reporting processes that were put in place by the Climate Act 2021. This provision in the Act supports greater transparency and accountability in how we plan and deliver our climate action. This committee has a critical role in this process, in reviewing the latest Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and Climate Change Advisory Council, CCAC, reports before inviting Ministers to attend and discuss their performance in supporting the delivery of our climate ambition, and in meeting our sectoral emissions ceiling and carbon budgets. This is the first time we have engaged in this process under the legislative framework and it is significant in that regard.

The CCAC’s annual review and the EPA’s emissions reports play a key role in informing the Department’s preparation of the annual update to the climate action plan. They are key reference documents to inform and guide the consultation that takes place with stakeholders as part of the process to update and refine the policies, measures and actions within the plan. Following the publication of the CCAC's annual review in July, officials from my Department and members of the CCAC secretariat engaged in a series of one-to-one consultations on individual sectors at which they discussed the review, its recommendations and how this would inform the ongoing work to prepare Climate Action Plan 2024.

Furthermore, in October, in response to a letter from the Chair of the Oireachtas joint committee, my Department issued a detailed response to the recommendations set out in the CCAC's annual review. This year’s annual review highlighted how, at the current rate of implementation, Ireland will not stay within the limits of our first two carbon budgets. I will, however, outline some key points that are important to understand. Ireland’s population and economy have grown significantly over the past few years. With that come more people in employment, more people travelling to work, more business, more houses being built and more recreational activity. Given this backdrop, seeing Ireland’s emissions fall last year was welcome. When the Government started, we had forecast less population growth and less GDP growth and an increased emissions trajectory by 2030. Last year, this was forecast to drop by 29% given significantly more people and greater economic activity. I expect this year that the 2030 projections will be lower again.

We are, however, changing course. This year, our use of coal for electricity fell by 54% to the end of October, our use of oil fell by 83% and our use of gas fell by 5%. Our interconnectors are working to displace high-carbon fuel with lower carbon imports. Our fertiliser use is down by more than 25% in two years and our use of heating fuels is falling by almost 10% in the year to date. I expect that this year, Ireland's emissions will fall at an accelerating rate, given lower energy use in most sectors and lower emissions in agriculture. We should be optimistic in believing the changes we are bringing are having an impact, which I expect to accelerate each year if we stay the course.

While I know we have the ability to accelerate the rate of implementation and to refine our policies, measures and actions to increase their impact, I recognise that this is a great challenge that will require transformative action and co-operation among all sectors of our society, a change that I believe will be positive for Ireland, Europe and the world. Under the current ministerial accountability framework for the sectoral emissions ceiling, as Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, I have responsibility for the electricity ceiling, the residential buildings ceiling and the ceiling for F-gases, waste and petroleum refining, known as the other ceiling. I also have responsibility for the public sector, with the Minister for public expenditure and reform taking a joint co-ordinating role over various Departments.

As Minister for Transport, I also have responsibility for the transport sectoral emissions ceiling, which will be discussed at a separate meeting of the committee. This ministerial accountability framework is to be reviewed and revised in the context of the 2024 climate action plan to ensure optimal accountability arrangements are in place to drive necessary action.

As we come to the end of 2023, I believe we have seen progress this year in our efforts to deliver on ambitious climate targets. However, further work is clearly required and the CCAC’s annual review reminds us of this. The review also serves to highlight the potential range of actions available to us and these are being taken into consideration as we further develop and refine our approach to achieving 51% emissions reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050. I thank the committee and acknowledge the integral role its members will play in reviewing and contributing to the Government’s progress towards reaching our climate ambitions. The oversight this committee provides is a key component of our enhanced climate governance and accountability structures.