The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 is officially in place after President Michael D. Higgins signed the bill into law today.

The act signals the commencement of Ireland's legally binding aim to achieve net-zero emissions by no later than 2050.

Although sectoral emissions targets have yet to be determined, the act commits Ireland to a 51% reduction in emissions by the end of this decade.

The next stage of the process will be the preparation of regulations on carbon accounting, in consultation with the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) and consistent with the Paris Agreement and EU rules.

This will be followed by the production of carbon budgets by the (CCAC), which will be presented to the Oireachtas and approved by government.

The government will then set sectoral targets/ceilings determining how each sector of the economy will contribute to the achievement of the budgets.

The Climate Action Plan 2021 will be published in early autumn and will set out the measures to be taken to reach our targets in each sector of the economy.

Some key highlights of the act:

Commenting, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan said:

"We will all need to work together to achieve this, in renewable energy, active and sustainable travel, in business, agriculture and across government. But the signal we are sending today is that now is the time for action.”

The Climate Action Plan 2021 will be published in early autumn and this will set out the measures to be taken to reach our targets in each sector of the economy.