From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
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Minister for Climate Action, Communication Networks and Transport, Eamon Ryan, welcomes the judgement of the Supreme Court today in relation to compliance of the 2017 National Mitigation Plan with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015.
Minister Ryan said:
“I welcome the judgement of the Court and congratulate Friends of the Irish Environment for taking this important case. It is significant that this was a unanimous judgement of 7 members of the Supreme Court, reflecting the importance of climate change as an existential challenge to humanity.
“The Court has found that the National Mitigation Plan fails to comply with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 because it doesn’t set out how the national transition objective of decarbonising Irish society is to be achieved.
“The scientific consensus is clear, we must cut CO2 emissions in half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 to ensure we protect our planet and our country from the most severe impacts of global warming.
“This transition presents Ireland with an opportunity unlike any other. Ireland can create thousands of well-paid green jobs, improve our environment for our citizens, become a world leader in wind, ocean and the digital economy. Our plan will make all of our homes warmer and healthier and our streets safer and nicer places to be. It will make our energy system clean, indigenous and secure.
“We must use this judgement to raise ambition, to empower action and to ensure that our shared future delivers a better quality of life for all.”
The Department will need to carefully examine the decision and consider its implications.
Since the 2017 National Mitigation Plan was published, the previous Government produced the 2019 Climate Action Plan which is designed to fully deliver Ireland’s 2030 emissions reduction target of 30%.
The new Government is now committed to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030, equivalent to a 51% reduction over the decade and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
A key aspect of delivering upon this commitment will be setting our 2050 target in law through the Climate Action Bill, which will be introduced in the Dáil within the first 100 days of government.
The Bill will define how five-year carbon budgets will be set, and every sector must contribute towards meeting this target by implementing policy changes. The programme for Government also recognises that the strategies to deliver these emissions reductions will require genuine consultation, detailed planning, organisation and adequate mechanisms for funding and incentives, and to this end allows for annual updating of the Climate Action Plan.
ENDS