Publication
Transport Sectoral and National Adaptation Frameworks
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The current Transport Climate Change Sectoral Adaptation Plan (Transport SAP) is the first Sectoral Adaptation Plan for transport to be developed under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, 2015.
The Department of Transport has started work on developing a new plan in line with national adaptation structures. This section covers what the current plan does as well as where to find more information on the legal structures that underpin it.
When a draft of the new plan has been completed, it will be published for public consultation on the gov.ie website.
Keep an eye on these pages and on the Dept of Transport website towards the end of 2024 for the public consultation announcement and to have your say on the new plan.
The Transport Climate Change Sectoral Adaptation Plan (Transport SAP) was published in 2019. It sits under the critical infrastructure thematic grouping of the National Adaptation Framework.
The current Plan describes the main features of the Irish transport sector. It sets out and ranks the climate risks of greatest concern for the transport sector and identifies adaptation knowledge gaps to be addressed. It also sets out twenty-one recommendations on how to progress adaptation across the sector. These are currently being progressed by the Department of Transport through research and through working with Transport stakeholders.
The Transport SAP will be revised following on from the NAF revision. The indicative timeline for publication of all of the revised sectoral adaptation plans is by the second half of 2025 as set out the Climate Action Plan 2023.
The Department of Transport has begun the early planning stages of the revised Transport SAP development process. This includes bringing together Transport organisations and stakeholders who together will drive the development of the new SAP. As adaptation is a national climate priority, it also builds on cooperation with other sectors and national adaptation stakeholders. This cooperation is supported by the Department’s membership of the National Adaptation Steering Committee and of national adaptation working groups.
In Ireland, the legal basis for national and sectoral climate change adaptation plans is the Climate Change and Low Carbon Development Acts 2015 to 2021.
The current National Adaptation Framework (NAF) was put in place in 2018 under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 and amendments.
It sets out the context to ensure that local authorities, regions and key sectors can assess climate change risks, put in place climate resilience actions, and mainstream adaptation into all local, regional and national policy making.
The revision of the National Adaptation Framework (NAF) is currently being carried out by the Department of Environment Climate and Communications, following approval of a review of the Framework in October 2022.
You can read the new draft National Adaptation Framework that was published for public consultation which took place from 19 January to 19 February 2024 by clicking here.