Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair and the committee for inviting me to the meeting to discuss carbon budgets and the climate action plan 2021. Like a number of members of the committee, I have just returned from COP26 in Glasgow. We have all been witness to the powerful testimony of many international leaders from climate-vulnerable nations, who have painted a stark picture of the impact that climate change is already having on their nations and communities.

The science is clear and definitive on the need for urgent action. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, report, Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis, establishes incontrovertibly that the negative effects of climate change are already being experienced globally and they will continue to increase exponentially, in magnitude and volatility, along with global temperatures.

We have made some progress towards this goal in Glasgow. Ireland had a significant presence and extensive engagement at COP26 on a number of key areas which will feed into global decarbonisation efforts. The Glasgow Climate Pact, which is the overarching agreement, keeps alive the ambition of restricting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. It struck a balance between increasing climate ambition, delivering on calls for increased climate finance and adaptation supports and provides the way for a new dialogue on the issue of loss and damage, which is critical to supporting climate justice for those most exposed to climate change.

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 establishes our climate objectives in law and will underpin national climate action in the medium term and long term. Further to the enactment of the Climate Act on 25 October 2021, the Climate Change Advisory Council, CCAC, submitted the first carbon budget programme under the Act, which consists of three consecutive carbon budgets bringing us up to 2035. The first two carbon budgets in the programme provide for the 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the State by 2030, relative to 2018, as set out in the Climate Act. The third carbon budget is provisional and consistent with the 2050 national climate objective. I have written to both the Ceann Comhairle and Cathaoirleach today to cause a copy of this proposed carbon budget programme to be presented to both Houses of the Oireachtas. This will be followed by Dáil Éireann considering whether to refer the carbon budget programme to this committee.

Should this be the case, the committee will be tasked with considering the carbon budget programme and providing a report to both Houses of the Oireachtas. Should the committee so wish I would be happy to attend before it to assist in any such deliberations. In parallel, and in accordance with the climate Act I intend to consult with the public and with Ministers as part of considering the carbon budgets before taking a proposed carbon budget programme to Government. When the Government has approved the carbon budgets, a copy of them will be placed again before both Houses of the Oireachtas for consideration. At this point, if the carbon budget programme was referred to the committee, both Houses would be informed by the joint committee’s report on the carbon budgets. Furthermore, a motion will be considered on the Government’s proposed carbon budgets taking effect. Once these overall, economy-wide carbon budgets are adopted, the Government will divide the overall carbon budgets into sectoral emissions ceilings. Sectoral emissions ceilings will establish how each sector must contribute towards meeting this target, through further established sectoral decarbonisation targets.

It is crucial that while we prepare our carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings, delivery of climate action in Ireland continues at pace. The climate action plan, which the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and I launched on 4 November, provides a detailed roadmap for meeting our climate ambition under the climate Act. The plan sets out indicative ranges of emissions reductions for each sector of the economy. These ranges will be finalised in Climate Action Plan 2022 following the legal adoption of carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings. The Government will support the changes through major public investment announced recently in the €165 billion national development plan, including increased funding for retrofitting of homes, building new public transport infrastructure, reskilling workers and supporting a just transition. While the climate action plan builds on the ambitious targets of the 2019 plan, it represents a significant step-up in terms of ambition and implementation.

I wish to highlight a number of the most significant measures included in the plan, which are as follows: an increase in the proportion of renewable electricity to up to 80% by 2030, including an increased target of up to 5 GW of offshore wind energy; and a significant reduction in transport emissions by 2030. Measures will include enabling 500,000 extra walking, cycling and public transport journeys per day by 2030, and supporting the take-up of electric vehicles to reach almost 1 million vehicles by 2030. It also includes the implementation of a new national retrofit plan to increase supply capacity and make retrofitting more affordable. It calls on our enterprise sector to see a faster uptake of carbon-neutral heating, increased electrification of high-temperature heating and the phasing out of high global warming potential flourine gases. It calls for reducing emissions associated with agriculture, which will be central to achieving our climate ambition. This plan provides a pathway to reduce emissions while supporting world-class food production, through an innovation and science-based approach. There will be a reduction in chemical nitrogen and more targeted use of fertiliser, while maintaining our position as a leading country in grass growth through multi-species swards. It will seek a reduction of emissions from land use, and a move to being an overall store of carbon, which will involve further bog rehabilitation, increased afforestation, and the rewetting of peat organic soils. A new forestry programme will be prepared for launch in 2023.

This plan places a just transition at its core. It sets out four principles that will guide our policy making and implementation over the coming years to ensure that we can effectively monitor and manage our transition and that our responses remain flexible so that we can respond to future transition challenges and target the areas in need of support. Each Minister, and the Government as a whole, will be expected to consider these principles as we develop and implement our climate policies. We have committed in the plan to establishing a just transition commission, which will make periodic recommendations to Government, building on research, engaging through the national dialogue on climate action and through the annual review from the Climate Change Advisory Council, CCAC, on how Government policy can further the just transition.

In delivering this ambitious climate action plan we must ensure we bring people with us and that the transition is fair. The recently launched national dialogue on climate action will facilitate public engagement and participation, community action, networking and capacity building activities on climate action, giving everyone in society the opportunity to play their part.

Last week, I also announced €60 million in funding from the climate action fund for community climate action projects to support and empower communities to shape and build low carbon, sustainable communities in a coherent way. The Government will shortly publish an accompanying detailed annex of actions to support the delivery of this plan. The annex sets out the detailed actions with timelines to drive delivery and enhance our emissions reductions.

The transition to a carbon neutral economy will provide huge opportunities to foster innovation, create new jobs and grow businesses in areas like offshore wind, cutting-edge sustainable agriculture, and low carbon construction. While we all must act together towards our climate objectives, I realise that the costs of climate action will be more acutely felt by some than others. As a Government, we are committed to protecting those most vulnerable and to ensuring a just transition to a low carbon economy.