Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2017
1148. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on current plans to progress a low-carbon economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14177/17]
View answerI refer to the replies to Question Nos. 34 and 41 on today's Order Paper.
In line with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, 2015, I am required to prepare and submit a National Mitigation Plan to Government for approval no later than 10 June this year. This will be the first in a series of successive National Mitigation Plans which will set out, on an ongoing basis, Ireland's strategy to transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by the end of 2050. The first National Mitigation Plan is being prepared on the basis that it will be a whole-of-Government plan, reflecting in particular the central roles of key Ministers responsible for the sectors covered by the Plan - Electricity Generation, the Built Environment, Transport and Agriculture, Forest and Land Use.
An important milestone in this work, and one required under the legislation, was reached last week when I published a draft National Mitigation Plan for public consultation. This consultation will help inform further work in my own Department and across Government to finalise the Plan later this year.
The consultation is an essential part of the process of public and stakeholder engagement on the challenges we face to meet our existing commitments and to begin the longer-term low carbon transition process to 2050. In addition to this consultation process, I recognise the need to engage wider society more generally with the climate challenge, motivate changes in behaviour, and create structures at local, regional and national levels to support the generation of ideas and their translation into appropriate cost-effective actions. To progress this, I recently announced details of a National Dialogue on Climate Action.
It is important to note that the first National Mitigation Plan represents an initial step to set us on a pathway to achieve the level of decarbonisation required by 2050. It does not provide a complete roadmap to achieve the 2050 objective, but rather is a work in progress reflecting the reality of where we are in our decarbonisation transition. When finalised, the Plan will become a living document, accessible on my Department's website, which is continually updated as on-going analysis, dialogue and technological innovation generate more and more cost-effective sectoral mitigation options. In addition, there will be the formal preparation of successive National Mitigation Plans at least once every five years as provided for in the 2015 Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act.
