Minister Bruton today (Tuesday the 16th of July) announced the establishment of the Climate Action Delivery Board to drive the implementation of the Government’s Climate Action Plan.
The Climate Action Plan led by Minister Bruton sets out over 180 actions, together with hundreds of sub-actions, to ensure Ireland is responding to the climate challenge, securing a more resilient and sustainable future in a zero carbon world.
The Climate Action Delivery Board, being convened today will oversee the delivery of all actions in the Plan and will meet regularly to hold each Department and public body to account for their responsibilities in the Plan.
The Board, which is chaired jointly by the Secretary General to the Government and the Secretary General of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, is required to present a delivery report to the Cabinet Committee and the Cabinet, which will be published on a quarterly basis.
The Board will also discuss and review key strategic projects and areas of work, such as establishing a new model for retrofitting, to identify barriers, challenges, and key lessons to date.
An Taoiseach said,
With our recently published Climate Action Plan, we set out how we will drive forward climate actions that reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, as well as climate actions that will give us warmer homes, cleaner air, better quality of life. The climate actions that will create the jobs and businesses of the future. We have dealt with environmental threats in the past like the depletion of the ozone layer and acid rain and I am confident we can overcome this threat also.
To ensure this plan is realised we have established the new Climate Action Delivery Board within my Department, the Department of the Taoiseach, to oversee implementation. It will co-ordinate action by all Government Departments, offices, agencies and semi-state companies.
Minister Bruton said,
For the first time ever, we have a Plan with actions across every sector, which will ensure we meet our climate commitments. However, the key to delivering on our ambition is implementation. The establishment of the Board within the Department of An Taoiseach firmly puts climate policy at the centre of Government. It will ensure that each department and public body is held fully accountable to delivering on the actions required to enable Ireland achieve its 2030 climate target and put us on a trajectory to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This is the same model we used for the Action Plan for Jobs and it proved extremely effective.
The establishment of the Board is the first in a series of new governance arrangements set out in the Climate Action Plan. These also include carbon-proofing our policies, establishment of carbon budgets, a strengthened Climate Change Advisory Council and greater accountability to the Oireachtas.
Notes for Editor
Jointly chaired by the Secretary General to the Government and the Secretary General of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, the Board will ensure a co-ordinated and collaborative approach to delivery of the Climate Action Plan across government.
The departments represented on the Climate Action Delivery Board are:
- Department of the Taoiseach
- Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
- Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
- Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation
- Department of Culture Heritage and Gaeltacht
- Department of Education & Skills
- Department of Employment Affairs & Social Protection
- Department of Finance
- Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
- Department of Housing Planning & Local Government
- Department of Public Expenditure & Reform
- Department of Rural & Community Development
- Department of Transport Tourism & Sport