Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Housing for All and the Climate Action Plan 2021 take account of our climate action targets to reduce carbon emissions in the built environment though the following policies: working with industry stakeholders to increase the use of low-carbon materials and technologies in the construction and renovation of buildings in Ireland, informed by evolving EU standards and by best practice in other jurisdictions; and the implementation of nearly zero energy buildings, NZEB, through our building regulations, which will ensure that while we achieve more energy-efficient buildings, we also build healthy, sustainable and durable buildings suitable for the Irish climate both today and into the future.

Our Department's retrofitting programme for local authority housing is an essential measure to tackle climate justice. My Department plans to retrofit approximately 40% of local authority dwellings not currently performing to a building energy rating, BER, of B2 to B2 cost-optimal level by 2030.

There is also the national planning framework objective to promote compact urban growth and town centres first.

In addition to these major actions that will make significant impacts on carbon emissions, our Department has a number of supporting actions that are critical to the reductions. Specific actions under all of these policy areas are outlined in the climate action plan and my Department is working hard to implement all of them.

I read the summary of the IGBC report. The ambition in respect of green procurement for public buildings and other buildings is critical. I remember having that battle at local authority level with regard to ground granulated blast-furnace slag, GGBS, cement, which is a low-carbon cement. It should be the default that we consider low-carbon products throughout the building cycle. The Deputy and I have spoken previously about older buildings, particularly early 20th century buildings that have a significant amount of embodied carbon. The national policy on architecture, which will be launched soon, will give us an indication on how we propose to support those buildings into the future.

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