Statement from Minister Ryan on today’s IPCC report on Climate Change mitigation

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the world's most authoritative climate science body and today’s report brings together the latest scientific evidence on climate change solutions that can inform policy-making at national and international levels.

This report – Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change – focuses on climate change mitigation, assessing methods for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

The report underlines the need to radically and rapidly scale up global climate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Only through delivering on our commitments under the Paris Agreement can we achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Effective international cooperation through partnerships and agreements is critical for achievement of ambitious climate change mitigation goals – at national, regional and sectoral levels.

I look forward to working with international partners at the next annual UN climate conference – COP27 – in Egypt later this year, to ensure that we increase ambition and finalise key discussions – particularly on climate finance to ensure appropriate supports for the most vulnerable countries. As reflected in today’s IPCC report, financial flows into climate action need to be increased, to achieve mitigation goals. This can be enabled by accelerating international financial cooperation and just transitions.

This report determines that enhanced governance and institutions are needed to achieve the reductions that are needed. Ireland’s strengthened statutory climate governance framework, established through the 2021 Climate Act, provides the foundations for continued development and implementation of ambitious climate policies in Ireland. This year we will adopt Ireland’s first carbon budget programme, including sectoral emission targets.

The report also confirms that all sectors have potential to significantly reduce their GHG emissions. It highlights that increased use of renewable energy, improved energy efficiency and fuel switching have reduced global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions – across industry and the energy sector.

Climate Action Plan 2021 sets out our response – as a country – to the climate crisis. This plan is transformative. It details what we must do to meet this challenge and our national climate objectives – to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Irish Government is committed to scaling up and speeding up our switch to alternative energy systems. The future is not fossil fuels; the future is about smart energy sources like offshore wind and green hydrogen, which we are well placed to produce. In the midst of the current international challenges, we are prioritising the energy needs of those at most risk of fuel poverty. We are also putting in place a suite of measures to help ensure greater energy efficiency across all sectors of society – homes, businesses and across the public sector. The current energy crisis has underpinned the importance of reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels and accelerating the switch to our own indigenous, renewable energy.

Today’s report clearly reinforces the message that the time to act is now. This government is doing so; through the Climate Action Plan we are empowering every citizen, every business and every community to make the just transition – to a clean, safe, healthy and sustainable future.