Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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95. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will clarify the approach he will take to producing regulations in a transparent and consistent manner for determining greenhouse gas emissions to be taken into account for carbon budgets in view of amendments to the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 at report stage in Seanad Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40670/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, establishes a legally binding framework with clear targets and commitments set in law, and provides 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 Act enacts 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 gives statutory effect to a commitment to achieve a climate neutral economy by not later than 2050.

The original Bill introduced to the Oireachtas provided that carbon removals would be taken into account as part of our transition to achieve a climate neutral economy. To maximise the transparency and legal robustness of the Act, and following further consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, it was considered prudent to clarify further the intent of the Bill with regard to the use of removals, and more specifically, the process of how they will be determined and used in complying with carbon budgets and sectoral emission ceilings.

The most appropriate and comprehensive statutory approach to achieve this was to provide for detailed Statutory Instruments to be prepared by the Government. These Statutory Instruments are currently being prepared. As required by the Act, the Government will have regard to the rules applied by the European Union in respect of determining how the removal of greenhouse gas emissions may be taken into account, and in particular the method of calculating and accounting for such removals, including the base year to be applied to such removals, when preparing these Statutory Instruments. I expect to consult with the Advisory Council on Climate Change in preparing these regulations.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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96. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views regarding the importance of climate action and awareness in relation to the RTÉ public service broadcasting charter and services; the current or planned steps his Department plans to take together with RTÉ and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland to improve climate awareness, content and programming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40671/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government recognises that we all have a part to play to achieve our climate goals. We need to ensure that citizens and communities are informed, engaged, and able to contribute to delivering on climate action.

In May of this year, my Department held a series of climate conversations, including a broad public consultation where we heard from 4,000 people, communities and organisations capturing their views on the climate challenge, how empowered they are to act to combat climate change, and what Government needs to do to make it easier to live in a sustainable way. The results of that conversation are informing the Climate Action Plan 2021.

Following a pilot in 2017 – 2019, a revised structure for the National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA) is being finalised and will be published in the coming months. The National Dialogue will set out how we will engage in a two-way conversation with the public. We will be doing this through large national stakeholder forums, national and local climate conversations, and funding innovation at the local level.

My officials have also approached colleagues in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to discuss how the broadcast sector can contribute to promoting national climate awareness and engagement.