Consultation on Carbon Budgets

The aim of this consultation is to gather stakeholder feedback from the public on aspects of the Climate Change Advisory Council's latest recommendations for the Carbon Budget periods 3 (2031 – 2035) and 4 (2036 – 2040), ahead of Minister Darragh O'Brien making recommendations to the government. The carbon budgets (and associated sectoral emissions ceilings), along with our national Climate Action Plan provide the framework necessary to meet our national climate objective. Together, they set out a pathway to achieving our 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction goal of 51% (compared to 2018 levels), and our 2050 climate neutrality goal.

Under the system of carbon budgeting established by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 ("the Act"), a carbon budget represents the total amount of greenhouse gases that may be emitted in the State during a 5-year period, measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Carbon budgets must be prepared for three sequential budget periods so that, at any one time, there is a series of three carbon budgets in place – referred to in the Act as a “carbon budget programme”. The carbon budgets are proposed by the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) and must be consistent with the achievement of the national climate objective by 2050 and include all greenhouse gases.

The first carbon budget programme comprised carbon budgets for the following periods:

• Carbon Budget 1 (2021-2026) – 295 MtCO2Eq.
• Carbon Budget 2 (2026-2030) – 200 MtCO2Eq.
• Carbon Budget 3 (2031-2035) provisional: 151 MtCO2Eq.

The first two carbon budgets in the programme provide for a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the State by 2030, relative to 2018, as set out in the Act.

On 10 December 2024, the CCAC submitted to the Minister, and published, the second proposed carbon budget programme.

This consists of two successive 5-year carbon budgets, covering 2031-2035 and 2036 - 2040.

The proposals are as follows:

• Carbon Budget 3 (2031-2035): 160 MtCO2Eq.
• Carbon Budget 4 (2036-2040): 120 MtCO2Eq.

A Carbon Budgets Working Group was established by the Council in 2023, tasked with assisting and advising it in the development of a methodology and evidence base, in particular providing modelling and analytical support for the development of carbon budget proposals. This Working Group provided the Council with key findings, recommendations and outputs for consideration in the context of the Council’s role in submitting carbon budget proposals to the Minister.

Before making a recommendation to Government, the Minister is now consulting on the CCAC proposal for two economy-wide carbon budgets for the period 2031-2040. You can contribute to this consultation by providing observations and comments on the CCAC’s carbon budget letter to Minister and / or the associated CCAC Carbon Budget Proposal Report published on 12 December 2025, both of which can be found at www.climatecouncil.ie/carbonbudgets. Please supplement your response with any relevant supporting information, evidence or analysis.

1. How effort is shared to meet the required emissions reductions by 2050 across the second two carbon budgets, 2031-2035 and 2036-2040
2. The CCAC Carbon Budget Proposal Report as published by the CCAC
3. Any other observations you wish to make

The closing date for submissions is 5.30pm on Wednesday, 4 June 2025.

All responses should be clearly marked: “Consultation on Carbon Budgets” and where possible, should be sent by email to carbonbudgetsconsultation@decc.gov.ie or by post to:

Climate Action Plan Coordination and Delivery Unit

Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

Tom Johnson House,

Haddington Road,

Dublin

D04 K7X4

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. We will consider all submissions and feedback before we publish the final version of the Carbon Budgets.

Your response to this consultation is subject to:

• the Freedom of Information Act 2014 (FOI)
• the Access to Information on the Environment Regulations 2007-2018 (AIE)
• the Data Protection Act 2018

Publishing of responses

We intend to publish the contents of all submissions received to our consultations on our website. We will redact (remove) personal data before publication.

Please indicate any sensitive information

In responding to this consultation, clearly indicate where your response contains any information which you would not wish to be released under FOI, AIE or otherwise published. This can include:

• personal information
• commercially sensitive information
• confidential information

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