Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 May 2023
58. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will outline in detail, according to the relevant sections of the climate Act, and by month, the annual climate action planning and reporting cycle and mechanisms for reporting on the implementation of the plan, as described in chapter 6 of the Climate Action Plan 2023. [25097/23]
View answerClimate Action Plan 2023 (CAP23) Action GV/23/3 requires that an annual climate action planning and reporting cycle be finalised by Q2 2023. My Department is currently undertaking work to further develop and refine the cycle and expects to have the annual cycle finalised within the delivery timeline.
Section 4 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 provides for annual updates of the Climate Action Plan and sets out the requirements for what the updates must contain in order to ensure compliance with the carbon budgets and sectoral emission ceilings.
Section 14A of the Act sets out the climate reporting requirements for the Minister of the Environment, Climate and Communications and Government Ministers. Following the publication of the EPA's emissions' reports and the Climate Change Advisory Council's Annual Report, the relevant Ministers shall, at the written request of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action, attend before the Committee to give an account on:
(a) sector specific progress under the most recent approved climate action plan, including the policies and measures that have been adopted and any significant failure to implement such policies and measures, or to achieve sector specific targets;
(b) whether there has been a reduction or increase in greenhouse gas emissions based on the Agency’s reports;
(c) compliance with the sectoral emissions ceiling and any measures envisaged to address any failure to so comply;
(d) the implementation of adaptation policy measures and any adaptation policy measures envisaged, where a sectoral adaptation plan has been prepared.
The Joint Committee may then prepare a report with recommendations on the matters addressed by the Ministers.
