As negotiations continue around the formation of the new government, An Taisce is calling on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to “get real” when it comes to complying with the climate legislation they passed.
The National Trust for Ireland said that while the Irish Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act (2021) is “genuinely world-leading in its intent, the challenge is to implement it rigorously”.
The Climate Act sets up a legally binding system of carbon budgets or limits on the total Irish greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to be allowed over rolling five-year periods.
These carbon budgets are spread across all areas and activities of society, including agriculture.
“To put it in household budget terms, the overall carbon budget is the ‘income available’ and the sectoral ceilings are the planned ‘spending’,” An Taisce said.
An Taisce
The Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) recently stated that Ireland has not risen to meet its climate change challenges and is currently set to miss its agreed carbon budget to 2030, relative to 2018 levels.
Marie Donnelly, chair of the CCAC, said that we are facing the most significant change since the foundation of the State which will require strong political leadership to address, with significant ramping up of ambition and delivery across all sectors.
“However, the challenge of meeting our obligations under the Climate Act is even greater than that.
“Not only are we on course to blow our first two carbon budgets to 2030, the sectoral ceilings agreed by the last government already don’t add up to meet the 2030 budget, in fact they exceed it,” An Taisce said.
As a starting point, An Taisce has urged those engaging in government formation talks and negotiating the new Programme for Government to commit to fixing the sectoral ceilings so they align with the carbon budgets within the first 100 days of taking office.
“The time has come for tough talking and true leadership,” An Taisce said.