Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The concept of just transition will form a key pillar of the climate action plan. It recognises that while every home, workplace and community will have to make far-reaching changes in our lifestyles to achieve climate resilience and protect our environment for future generations, the level of adjustment and options for adaptation risks imposing particular hardship for some. In that light, we need to ensure that policy is in place to support transition for those worst affected.

A range of measures will be considered in this context, including helping enterprises and workers in sectors particularly affected to adapt; ensuring that revenues from carbon prices are transferred back to help households cope and adapt; developing the economic opportunities that will come with the scaling up of renewables, retrofitting, managing resources in a sustainable way and smarter working and living; and, in particular, that regions particularly affected benefit from these economic opportunities. It will also involve building climate resilience into the framework for key funds for climate action, rural and urban regeneration and disruptive technologies in order that early movement can protect our communities.

The work we are undertaking in the midlands embracing a whole-of-Government approach and along with Bord na Móna, enterprise agencies, education institutions, social protection agencies and local stakeholders to commence planning and development of policy is providing a working model which can be developed.

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