Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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79. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress to date in achieving emission reduction targets in line with the Programme for Government whilst at the same time protecting economic progress in the agri-food business or other sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61426/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Climate ambition in the Programme for Government has been placed on a statutory footing through the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, which was signed into law in July of this year. The Act commits Ireland to achieve a climate neutral economy by no later than 2050, and provides for a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2018 levels.

The significantly strengthened legally binding framework under the Act with clear targets and commitments set in law, including embedding a process of carbon budgeting and sectoral emissions ceilings, will help ensure that Ireland achieves its climate goals and obligations in the near and long-term. Establishing these requirements in legislation places a clear obligation on this and future governments for sustained climate action.

In order to deliver upon this ambition, the Government published Climate Action Plan 2021 in November 2021, which identifies the actions necessary to achieve our emissions reductions targets. The Plan sets out indicative ranges of emissions reductions for each sector of the economy based on their respective starting points, and the relative difficulty, cost, speed, and benefits, of reducing emissions. All sectors, including agriculture will reduce emissions by an ambitious and achievable percentage, each playing a vital role in meeting our targets.

The plan builds on the significant progress made since CAP 2019, in particular in the areas of climate governance, renewable electricity, ensuring a just transition, the development of a National Residential Retrofit Plan and the increasing levels of bio-fuels in the transport sector. The National Development Plan has allocated significantly increased funding to climate action, including public transport and retrofitting over the next decade.

With regard to the agriculture sector, the core measures outlined in the Climate Action Plan 2021 include efficiencies across the agriculture sector and diversification measures, including increasing organic production and the production of biomethane. Further measures will be required to meet the targets set for this sector and include the introduction of a model for carbon farming, exploring feed-related methane reduction solutions, and conducting a diversification review which will include an assessment on the wider production of biomethane. The Government is committed to finding the balance between environmental, climate and biodiversity needs, and supports for farmers.

Failure to rapidly decarbonise our economic model will have far reaching negative impacts on the economy and the public finances; undermine the long-term, sustainable competitiveness of the economy; and lock Ireland into a redundant fossil-fuel based economic model. Embracing the transition will support further job creation through the development of new and emerging sectors.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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80. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the measures he will take to ensure that the targets set to be missed as documented in the Climate Change Advisory Council’s review of the year will be met in particular the lack of a long term emissions reduction strategy, a failure to meet the target of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for 2020 and the delayed measures for transport and heating in the Climate Action plan 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61469/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I welcome the publication of the Climate Change Advisory Council’s 2021 Annual Report. The report highlights that a significant ramp-up of mitigation effort is required across the agriculture, land-use, built environment and transport sectors. It also emphasises the importance of climate resilience, while also recognising the significant progress already made in decarbonising our electricity system. Additionally, it stresses that the transition will have a cost and preparations will be required to reduce the impact on the most vulnerable.

We have delivered key elements of our climate policy framework in the last year, including the milestone Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, and the Climate Action Plan 2021 which identifies the policies,measures and actions necessary to achieve emissions reductions of 51% by 2030 and net zero emissions by no later than 2050.The Government will shortly publish an Annex of Actions, which will set out the detailed steps that must be taken to deliver on our climate commitments.

We will shortly have in place a system of legally binding economy-wide carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings, with relevant Ministers required to give account to the Oireachtas on performance on implementing the Climate Action Plan and adhering to the sector's emission ceiling for the carbon budget period.

The National Development Plan published in October allocated significantly increased funding to climate action, including public transport and retrofitting over the next decade.

The National Dialogue on Climate Action will create a comprehensive support structure for widespread public and stakeholder engagement on climate change, empowering people across all areas of society and the economy to adopt more sustainable behaviours, and participate in all aspects of the transition.

Following the enactment of the Climate Act in July, and the publication of the Climate Action Plan 2021 in November, we will in the coming period finalise Ireland’s Long-term Strategy to reflect this increased ambition.. The Strategy will be brought to Government for consideration and approval, ahead of being submitted to the European Commission.