Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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262. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15929/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 262 together.

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021, approved by Cabinet on 23 March, will establish a legally binding framework with clear targets and commitments set in law, and provide that the necessary structures and processes are embedded on a statutory basis to ensure Ireland achieves its national, EU and international climate goals and obligations in the near and long term.

The Bill will enact a number of commitments set out in the Programme for Government, including providing that the first two carbon budgets should achieve a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and giving statutory effect to a commitment to achieve a climate neutral economy by not later than 2050.

The Bill also introduces a number of new policy instruments, including a series of successive carbon budgets and sectoral targets, annual revisions to the Climate Action Plan, and a National Long Term Climate Action Strategy. The Bill establishes a clear relationship, and a requirement for consistency, between these policy instruments and the national climate objective.  Local authorities will also be required to produce individual Climate Action Plans.

The Bill requires Ministers and the Government to perform their functions in a manner consistent with, insofar as is practicable, the carbon budgets that are in effect. Ministers are also required to comply in a similar manner with adopted sectoral emissions ceilings and relevant plans and strategies.

Consistent with this approach, public bodies will have a general obligation, under section 15 of the Bill, to perform their functions, in so far as practicable, in a manner consistent with the requirements of the various plans and strategies under the legislation, and furthering the achievement of the national climate objective.

The Bill will have a transformative effect on our climate policy ambitions and implementation, and will compel Government, relevant sectors and public bodies to act.

The Bill will shortly be commenced in the Dáil and I look forward to constructive engagement to ensure its timely passage through both Houses of the Oireachtas.