Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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68. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the proposed green new deal as part of the climate action (amendment) Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24995/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The EU aims to be climate-neutral by 2050. This objective is at the heart of the European Green Deal and in line with the EU’s commitment to global climate action under the Paris Agreement. The European Commission has just presented its plan to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. This level of ambition for the next decade will put the EU on a balanced pathway to reaching climate neutrality by 2050. It is intended that both the 2030 and 2050 targets will be enshrined in the EU Climate Law. Parliament and Council have been invited to confirm this 55% 2030 target as the EU's new Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, and to submit this to the UNFCCC by the end of this year. Legislative proposals to implement the new EU 2030 target will be presented by June 2021, and additional effort will be asked of all Member States including Ireland.

In recognition of the investment required to decarbonise our economies, the EU’s €750 billion Next Generation EU recovery package and €1 trillion budget require that money can only be spent on projects that meet certain green criteria, with 30% of all funding to go on climate change mitigation.

The Programme for Government has a Green New Deal for Ireland as a core mission. It commits to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030 (a 51% reduction over the decade) and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

The purpose of the Climate Action (Amendment) Bill is to strengthen the governance structure in supporting Ireland's response to climate breakdown. The Bill, which the Government committed to introducing into the Dáil within the first 100 days of Government, will:

- Set the 2050 decarbonisation target in law.

- Provide for the adoption of five-year carbon budgets, setting maximum emissions by sector.

- Strengthen the role of the Climate Change Advisory Council, including in relation to proposing appropriate carbon budgets.

The Programme for Government commits to direct any relevant funding under the European Green Deal towards decarbonising projects such as renewable energy, retrofits, ecosystem resilience and regeneration, clean research and development spending, and reskilling needs to address any potential structural shifts from decarbonisation. This funding, together with increased domestic supports as set out under the Programme for Government, will underpin the additional actions required across all sectors to bring about the significant change needed to transform our society.