merrion street

Carbon budgets to be required by law

Decarbonisation targets for each sector

Sale of fossil fuel cars banned by 2030

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton T.D. today (Monday,  6^th of January) published the Draft General Scheme of the Climate Action (Amendment) Bill 2019 and confirmed that it is priority legislation for the Government in the new Dáil term.

The Climate Action Plan, published earlier this year, is the Government’s plan to ensure we radically reduce our emissions in every sector to ensure we meet our future climate commitments, putting us on a trajectory to be net zero by 2050.

Minister Bruton said,

Governance and accountability are at the heart of the Climate Action Plan. We are putting in place the legislative underpinning to ensure the radical step up required is delivered.

The Bill aims to enshrine in law the approach outlined in the Climate Action Plan, including:

• Establishing a 2050 emissions reduction target in law
• Making the adoption of carbon budgets a legal requirement
• Strengthening the role of the Climate Action Council in recommending the appropriate climate budget and policies
• Requiring the Government to set a decarbonisation target range for each sector. The Minister with primary responsibility for each sector will be accountable for delivering the relevant actions to meet the sectoral target and for reporting annually on the delivery of their actions and the achievement of sectoral emission targets
• Giving the Oireachtas a central role in the setting of the carbon budget and overseeing progress to delivery
• Banning the sale of fossil fuel cars by 2030
• Establishing that the Climate Action Plan shall be updated annually, with actions in every sector. 

Minister Bruton said,

We must act now and leave a better, healthier, more sustainable Ireland for future generations. Accountability is the key to making progress. We have a very short time to act. We must put in place a strong framework to ensure every sector, every policy, every decision delivers on the transformation that is required. Today represents a hugely important step in putting in place the necessary arrangements to achieve this objective.