Climate Action: Preparing for the Impacts of Climate Change

Our National Adaptation Framework (2018) provides a national strategy to reduce the vulnerability of the country to the negative effects of climate change and to avail of positive impacts.

Building on the National Adaptation Framework, the Climate Action Plans set out climate adaptation measures to ensure that the State is ready to protect people from the negative effects of climate change.

The Climate Action Plan 2021includes a suite of climate adaptation measures including:

• Review and update the National Adaptation Framework
• Undertake further research to support coherent national, sectoral adaptation planning
• Assess the impact of climate change on key sectors including transport, agriculture, telecommunications networks and our built environment
• Inclusion of adaptation actions in sectoral policies such as Local Authority Planning Guidelines, National Structural Design Codes for Physical Infrastructure, and Guidance on Climate Adaptation on Regional and Local Roads.

Climate change adaptation is the way we plan for negative effects of climate change and act to prevent or minimise the damage it causes.

The Government’s sectoral adaptation plans identify the key risks facing each sector and the approach being taken to address these risks and build climate resilience for the future. The 12 sectors are Agriculture, Biodiversity, Forestry, Built and Archaeological Heritage, Communications, Electricity and Gas, Health, Flood Risk Management, Seafood, Transport, Water Quality and services infrastructure.

The following actions under previous Climate Action Planshave been completed:

• Climate Ireland website developed as an information resource.
• Climate Charter signed with all 31 local authorities which embeds decarbonisation and climate resilience into every aspect of the work they do.
• Information on the costs and benefits of adaptation within specific sectors, collected and identified.
• Improved co-ordination with the Local Government sector.
• Adaptation mainstreamed into key sectoral plans and policies
• “Policy Coherence in Adaptation Studies: Selecting and Using Indicators of Climate Resilience”research analysis published by the EPA.

For more information on the progress Ireland has made to date, please see the Climate Action Plan Progress Reports.

• Further information on climate change adaptation and a range of adaptation options for Ireland is available on the Climate Ireland website.
• Local Authorities Adaptation Strategy Development Guidelines
• For more information on the EU Adaptation Strategy please see here.

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