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

I fully support increased climate ambition at EU level and welcome the publication of the EU climate law proposal, including the delivery of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions at EU level by 2050. The EU climate law is currently under negotiation in the Council, and the impact assessment to increase the EU 2030 climate ambition will be published this summer with a view to reaching agreement later this year. While the targets and ambitions under the European green deal are still being negotiated, I will continue to progress Ireland's increased climate ambition. The programme for Government sets out our objective to more than halve our carbon emissions over the course of the decade. The action we take in the coming years will be critical in order to address the climate crisis, which threatens our safe future on this planet.

As Minister for climate action, I will lead on delivering our shared commitment to achieve an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030, and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.  The 2050 target will be set in law in the climate action Bill. The Bill will also significantly strengthen the statutory framework for governance of the climate challenge in Ireland, including introducing a requirement on Government to propose carbon budgets for three five-year periods and decarbonisation ranges for each relevant sector.

I expect that Bill will be published in the first 100 days of our term in government and hopefully enacted as soon as the Houses are able to do so.

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