The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton T.D. today (Thursday the 28th of March 2019) welcomed the Report from the All Party Climate Action Committee, chaired by Deputy Hildegarde Naughton on the recommendations from the Citizens Assembly.
I’d like to thank the Committee, and in particular Deputy Hildegarde Naughton for her leadership as Chair, for this Report which reached cross party consensus on a number of difficult issues.
I will now consider these recommendations in the context of the work that is underway on the all of government Climate Plan.
Climate disruption can no longer be ignored, we must respond. The Climate Plan will set out how this government intends to take the lead and will set out a range of actions, across all sectors - including buildings, heat, transport, industry and agriculture to step up Ireland’s response to climate change.
I’m glad to see that the committee has reached cross party consensus on a number of difficult matters, including a price for carbon. Creating a price for carbon, the most prevalent greenhouse gas, will mean that the cost of the damage will be paid for, by the person who is polluting. We will consider their proposals in the Climate Plan, which will be published shortly.
The Committee have also agreed with the 70% renewable energy target by 2030, which I set out earlier this week.