Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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46. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 107 of 20 September 2022, the status of the promised statutory guidelines for local authority climate action plans, which will include the guidelines for the implementation of local authority decarbonising zones; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55009/22]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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49. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the engagement his Department has had with the national local authority climate action steering group in 2022; the number of meetings, and dates of same, attended by his Departmental officials in 2022; if minutes are taken and published in respect of these meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55011/22]

Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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55. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide an update on the progress of the local authorities’ climate action plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55420/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 46, 49 and 55 together.

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act, 2021 strengthens the role of Local Authorities for effective climate action. It sets out a statutory requirement for each Local Authority (LA) to prepare a Climate Action Plan (CAP), within 12 months from when I formally issue a request to the sector to begin the preparation of such plans. This will be made not later than 18 months after the commencement of the Act. LA CAPs will have to be consistent with national climate plans and will include both mitigation and adaptation measures to be updated every five years. My Department is currently finalising a set of statutory guidelines detailing the approach Local Authorities are to take in the development and implementation of LA CAPs.

The guidelines and technical annexes define the method for the development and implementation of specific, action-focused, time-bound and measurable actions and include the following:

- Local Authority Climate Action Plan Guidelines

- Technical Annex A: Developing and Implementing the Local Authority Climate Action Plan

- Technical Annex B: Climate Change Risk Assessment.

- Technical Annex C: Climate Mitigation Assessment.

- Technical Annex D: Decarbonisation Zones.

While each Local Authority may deploy their own approach to the style and structure of their climate action plans, all of them must demonstrate alignment with the key principles of the national Climate Action Plan to ensure that each LA CAP is ambitious, action-focused, evidence-based, participative and transparent.

I recognise that Local Authorities will need to be supported in the delivery of LA CAPs. This is why I have allocated €3.5million in 2022 to support the Local Authorities in securing resources to begin the process of developing these plans. I will continue to provide funding to the Sector over the coming years. In this regard, my Department issued a letter to the Chief Executive of each Local Authority on 26 October of this year confirming the provision of these resources.

Officials from my Department meet regularly with the Local Authority National Climate Action Steering Group (LANCASG). In 2022, meetings were held on 26 January, 27 April, 22 June, and 28 September and senior officials from my Department were in attendance at each of these meetings. The meetings fall under the auspices of the City and County Managers Association, are attended by key stakeholders, and chaired by Local Authority Chief Executive Officers. The agenda normally comprises progress updates on climate-related actions, including resources and training, LA CAP guidelines and the work of the Climate Action Regional Office (CAROs). Progress updates are made on ongoing Local Authority climate projects, including energy, fleet changes and roads. Minutes of the meetings are taken by the Local Authorities and circulated to attendees but are not published.