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 in early 2025 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.
In June 2024, a new National Adaption Framework was approved by government and published. It replaces the first iteration published in 2018, which was implemented under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 and amendments.
Building on the progress made under first NAF, the new Framework outlines a whole of government and society approach to climate adaptation in Ireland. It takes account of developments since 2018 in areas of climate policy, research, sectoral and local adaptation planning, as well as on the recommendations made following the statutory 2022 NAF review.
It sets out a vision, guiding principles, and guidance for national climate adaptation action and provides the structure for development of new Sectoral Adaptation Plans (SAPs). It will underpin development of the new Transport Sectoral Adaptation Plan (SAP).
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.