Call for Expert Evidence - Climate Action Plan 2023

Following the approval of the Sectoral Emission Ceilings, we are launching a call for expert evidence to support and inform the preparation of the next Climate Action Plan, which is due for publication later this year.

This call for evidence seeks submissions and evidence-based views from expert stakeholders, academic institutions, researchers, and analysts in the climate, energy, environment and industry sectors.

Taking action this decade will be crucial if we are to address the climate and biodiversity crises threatening our future on this planet. The Programme for Government commits to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030 (a 51% reduction over the decade), and to achieving net zero emissions by no later than 2050.

These targets have been made legally binding by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. Ireland’s Carbon Budgets were adopted by the Oireachtas and came into effect in April 2022, setting us on a path to achieving our required emission reduction target. In July, the Sectoral Emissions Ceilings were approved by Government, setting firm limits on each sector of the economy’s emissions within the parameters of the Carbon Budgets.

Achieving these targets will be challenging and will require fundamental changes in many parts of Irish life. In rising to the challenge, we will be able to improve the health, welfare and security of all our people, while also protecting our environment and delivering new opportunities in terms of employment and competitiveness.

As required by the 2021 Act, the government is now beginning to prepare the next Climate Action Plan, which will set out actions that must be taken in order to ensure we achieve our legally binding 2030 targets, prepare for climate neutrality no later than 2050, and make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change.

As with the Climate Action Plan 2021, the new Climate Action Plan will have a strong focus on implementation, including actions with specific timelines and steps needed to achieve each action, assigning clear lines of responsibility for delivery. It will be informed by successful approaches in other countries, where such approaches could be adapted for implementation in Ireland.

As part of this consultation, you are invited to consider the cross-sectoral and sector-specific implications of the overall increase in climate ambition set out above, and to set out proposals for additional policies and measures across sectoral areas, including estimations of the associated greenhouse gas emissions reductions and/or increased resilience to the locked-in climate change impacts.

In order to allow a consistent approach to be taken across all sectors, the development of the new Plan is being addressed through the following broad framework:

• regulatory framework
• adoption of known technologies
• addressing market failure
• driving change in business models
• the public sector leading by example
• harnessing the citizen and community effort

In addition to completing our consultation questionnaire, we would also like to hear your evidence-based views grounded in a comprehensive cross-sectoral perspective on the changes required to meet Ireland’s 2030 and 2050 climate ambition, including in relation to key systemic choices.

This consultation is open until 5.30 pm on 20 September 2022 and submissions can be made online through our consultation platform. If you have difficulties submitting a response online, or would like to make a submission by email, or through Irish, please email us at CallforEvidence@decc.gov.ie

If you would like to make a submission by post you can send it to:

Call for Expert Evidence 2022

Environment and Climate Action Plan Delivery Division

Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

29-31 Adelaide Road

Dublin 2

D02 X285

At the time of this consultation being launched, a number of additional consultations are also currently open which may be of interest. If you have specific views on the subjects of any of these consultations, you can submit your feedback directly to those consultations:

Consultation on developing a hydrogen strategy for Ireland (closes 2 September 2022)

Energy Poverty strategy review (Consultation on Energy Poverty Action Plan) (closes 5 September 2022)

Consultation on a Small-Scale Generation Support Scheme (SSG) in Ireland (closes 29 September 2022)

We are committed to engaging with stakeholders in a clear, open and transparent manner. Any person or organisation can make a submission in relation to this consultation. All submissions and feedback will be considered before the next Climate Action Plan is published.

Please note that responses to this consultation are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 (FOI), Access to Information on the Environment Regulations 2007-2018 (AIE) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Please also note that we intend to publish the contents of all submissions received to our consultations on our website. We will redact personal data prior to publication. In responding to this consultation, parties should clearly indicate where their responses contain personal information, commercially sensitive information or confidential information which they would not wish to be released under FOI, AIE or otherwise published.

We would like to draw your attention to our Data Privacy Notice which explains how and when we collect personal data, why we do so and how we treat this information. It also explains your rights in relation to the collection of personal information and how you can exercise those rights.

Industry Submissions

Group/Organisation Submissions

Individual Submissions