Cabinet approval for all of government climate action plan

Published by admin on November 21, 2018

November 21st, 2018

Confirmation of cabinet approval to draw up an all of government plan to meet its climate commitments has been confirmed by the Minister for Climate Action.

Richard Bruton confirmed yesterday evening that he secured government approval to draw up the plan that, he says, will make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change.

The Plan will set out the actions to be taken by every government department and body to meet our national, EU and international climate commitments.

Speaking at the 79^th Fine Gael Ard Fheis on Saturday, Mr Bruton said that Ireland must act now if we wish to be a real leader “stretching ourselves and seizing the enterprise opportunities in a low carbon economy”.

Today I secured government approval to draw up an all of government plan to make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change. The Plan will set out the actions to be taken by every government department and body to meet our climate commitments

— Richard Bruton (@RichardbrutonTD) November 20, 2018

Time to Deliver

Ireland is well off track to meet both its 2020 or 2030 climate targets or to decarbonise the economy as planned by 2050, according to the State’s own expert climate advisory body.

The latest projections from Ireland’s EPA is that on current trends, Ireland’s emissions will still be 13 per cent above 1990 levels in 2030.

The 2018 Climate Change Performance Index puts Ireland in 49th place out of a total of 56 countries identified in the study. Together, the 56 nations account for over 90 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

A timeline will be set for every assignment that will be given to the different government departments and bodies, who will be responsible for ensuring that they deliver on time.

The Taoiseach also said last weekend that the actions plans will speed up the move to renewables, as well as transforming farms from carbon emitters into carbon sinks.

The Government also involved that it will increase its payment into the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a UN and World Bank initiative to provide grants to developing countries for a range of environmental projects.

Ireland will put €5.7 million into the GEF trust in annual instalments, starting this year until 2022. Ireland first became a member in 1994 and has contributed €30 million to date.

Ireland first became a member on the 9^th of March 1994, so far the Government has contributed €30 million which has also been paid in instalments over the next four years.

By Gosego Moletsane