Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry that this discussion is taking place hours before the climate action plan is published. On bringing people with us, I am not deluded and I do not think the Government and the Dáil can just impose things on people. We rule with the consent of the public and we cannot make changes that people do not feel are fair and reasonable. People will make huge changes, as we saw in the pandemic. They can alter their lives if they understand that it is essential to do so to protect each other or for society as a whole. I am heartened that those changes are possible. If people could make such sudden and dramatic changes to their lifestyle to protect the elder generations, I believe they will do the same to protect their grandchildren and their children in the future. They can make those changes, even if the immediate risk and the number of people dying is not going to be reported on tomorrow's news. People know this stuff is happening and change is necessary but we must bring them with us.

I am finalising an ambitious set of climate actions, through a new climate action plan, that will position us to meet the targets the Oireachtas has now set through the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, namely, to have a 51% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and a climate-neutral economy not later than 2050. Under the new legislation, the Department will update the climate action plan every year so that our actions keep step with the trajectory required to achieve our targets. In addition, a national long-term climate action strategy will be prepared at least every five years.

Progress reports on the implementation of the existing climate action plan are prepared on a quarterly basis by the Department of the Taoiseach. The reports are considered and approved by government and published online to ensure accountability and transparency. Implementation rates under the climate action plan 2019 have fluctuated on a quarter-by-quarter basis. The overall implementation rate to the end of quarter 4 2020 was 78%, with 391 measures completed out of a total of 500 measures due. The reports can be found on the climate action section of Gov.ie. Challenges to implementation have been highlighted throughout the quarterly progress reports. These include issues of capacity, resourcing and expertise across government, and the complexity of work and extensive stakeholder consultation often required for meaningful climate action.

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