Written answers

Thursday, 17 June 2021

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Climate Action Plan

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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303. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the current and capital costs involved with each action item in the Interim Climate Action Plan under his Department’s responsibility. [32697/21]

Photo of Colm BrophyColm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The Interim Climate Action Plan presents a number of supporting and enabling actions to advance Ireland’s international role on climate issues. These actions are necessary to support our efforts to coordinate and scale up our international climate finance and to enhance our climate diplomacy efforts.

Ireland provides significant international climate finance, the vast majority of which is targeted towards Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. This targeting remains a commitment in the Interim Climate Action Plan. In 2019, the latest year for which figures are available, the Government of Ireland provided at least €93.6 million in climate finance. The Department of Foreign Affairs provided the largest proportion of this finance, approximately €71.3 million.

A full breakdown of Ireland's international climate spending can be found in Ireland's Climate and Environmental Finance Report 2019.

In line with the Programme for Government and Ireland’s International Development Policy, A Better World, the Interim Climate Action Plan contains a number of commitments to be led by the Department of Foreign Affairs, including:

- seek to at least double the percentage of Official Development Assistance spending by 2030;

- the establishment of a Climate Finance Roadmap to be developed with other Departments;

- report annually on Official Development Assistance Expenditure on climate;

- the development and implementation of a methodology for climate proofing all Official Development Assistance;

- the development of a Department of Foreign Affairs Climate Strategy.

These important actions require significant technical expertise, to be provided through external support. I have set aside a provision of €150,000 in 2021 for these actions.

The cost of other actions in the Interim Climate Action Plan are integrated within the operational costs of the Department. This includes:

- placing climate action, especially for Least Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, at the heart of or development cooperation and policy partnerships;

- strengthening climate diplomacy across HQ units and our Embassy network;

- playing a leadership role on Climate and Security at the UN Security Council.

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