Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The definition in the Bill as drafted is aligned with EU policy and Irish national policy and strategy. The Bill does not exist in isolation but within an existing statutory framework with regard to climate action. There is already a legal obligation on public bodies to comply with Ireland's climate law.Section 15 (1) of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act of 2021 states that:

“(1) A relevant body shall, in so far as practicable, perform its functions in a manner consistent with— (a) the most recent approved climate action plan,

(b) the most recent approved national long term climate action strategy,

(c) the most recent approved national adaptation framework and approved sectoral adaptation plans,

(d) the furtherance of the national climate objective, and

(e) the objective of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the effects of climate change in the State.”.

All of these requirements include planning for climate remediation and a just transition and are, therefore, already obligations upon all public bodies and do not need to be specified within the Bill. The agency will also be subject to any additional legislation made for the purpose of enabling the State to pursue the national 2050 climate objectives. Not referencing specific agreements or legislation simplifies the process in that it eliminates the necessity for repeated, rolling amendments to the legislation as new policy and legislation is brought forward within the existing centralised statutory framework.

In relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, these only run to 2030, meaning that amendments would be required on a rolling basis. The principles underlying the sustainable development goals are already captured in the definitions and impact considerations. Environmental and sustainability impacts are to be considerations in every aspect of the work of the agency and maintaining this broader provision allows scope for the agency to keep aligned with emerging national and international policy and priorities. This potentially limits longevity and the future focus of the Bill, meaning amendments would be required on a running basis to keep up with each new agreement. This is a rapidly evolving field and we have already seen recognition and resolve in terms of the need for rapid climate action progress in recent years. We can anticipate that there will be further fairly rapid developments in this regard. These principles are already captured in the definitions and the impact considerations and maintaining this broader provision allows scope for the agency to keep aligned with emerging national policy and priorities and international developments. The existing statutory framework is more agile and responsive. Not referencing specific agreements or legislation in the Bill eliminates the necessity for repeated rolling amendments as new policy and legislation is brought forward in the centralised, whole-of-government approach. It is for these reasons that we are not accepting the amendment.