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Tánaiste launches Ireland’s Climate and Environmental Finance Report 2021

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, T.D., today launched Ireland’s Climate and Environmental Finance Report 2021.

The report, which is produced annually by the Department of Foreign Affairs, describes the levels, channels and focus of funding provided by the Irish Government to support climate action and environmental protection in developing countries. Launching the report, the Tánaiste said: “The devastation brought about by the recent Tropical Cyclone Freddy in southeast Africa drives home, in no uncertain terms, the cruel realities of climate change. Those who have done the least to cause this crisis are the ones being hit the hardest by its impacts. The latest UN IPCC report, published last week, underscores the importance of climate finance in tackling the climate crisis and in protecting the most climate-vulnerable communities around the world.” The report finds that Ireland provided €99.6 million in climate finance in 2021, an increase of 12.8% in Ireland’s climate finance as compared to 2020. This includes finance provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs; the Department of Finance; the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In line with Ireland’s climate finance priorities, approximately 96% of the funding contributed to initiatives that specifically support climate resilience and activities that contribute to both mitigating the causes of climate change and adapting to its impacts. Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Sean Fleming noted: “The Climate and Environmental Finance Report demonstrates Ireland’s strengths as a donor of climate finance. Irish Aid prioritises funding for climate adaptation and concentrates support in countries that are highly vulnerable to climate change. Recognising the urgency of the climate crisis, Ireland is committed to further scaling up our international climate finance in the coming years.” Ireland’s Climate and Environmental Finance Report 2021 can be viewed here.

Notes to Editors:

  • In July 2022, the Irish Government published Ireland’s International Climate Finance Roadmap. This all-of-government plan sets out the pathway for realising the target announced by the Taoiseach at COP26 to provide at least €225 million in climate finance per year by 2025.
  • In addition to setting out the plan for a significant scale up of Ireland’s climate finance, the Roadmap also expands the scope of support to areas where Ireland can bring further added value to international climate action, such as ocean protection, enhancing biodiversity and responding to climate-induced Loss and Damage.
  • Of Ireland’s €99.6 million in climate finance in 2021, the Department of Foreign Affairs provided 57% (€57.1 million); the Department of Finance provided approximately 18% (€18.4 million); the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications also provided approximately 18% (€17.5 million), and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Marine provided 7% (€6.6 million).
  • 48% of this was spent on activities that specifically target Adaptation (only), another 48% went on Cross-Cutting activities (which targets both adaptation & mitigation), and the remaining 4% went to Mitigation (only) activities.
  • This 2021 figure of €99.6 million is an increase of 12.8% on the 2020 figure and stands as the highest amount of climate finance provided by Ireland to date.
  • Between 2016 and 2021, Ireland’s overall international climate finance has increased by 40%.

ENDS