Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
218. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which policies to achieve 2030 climate goals have been tested in order to create behavioural change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28054/23]
View answerThe provision of an evidence base for climate policy is a priority action for Government under the Climate Action Plan 2023. Behavioural change is one of the four pillars of the National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA).
Under the NDCA my Department has: 1) supported the EPA Climate Change in the Irish Mind Survey, which is a benchmark of attitudes and behaviours around climate change in Ireland; 2) delivered the Climate Conversations identifying where we can support people in making behavioural changes; and 3) funded a series of behavioural studies which are informing climate and sectoral policy design.
In 2021, my Department also established the first National Social and Behavioural Advisory Group. It includes Government Departments, behavioural researchers from the EPA's Behavioural Unit, the SEAI's Behavioural Economics Unit, the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit, NESC, and social and behavioural academics. The Advisory Board provides expertise to inform the design of the annual Climate Action Plan and sectoral policies across many areas, including energy, transport, just transition, and the built environment.
The cumulative insights from the NDCA programme serve to inform policy design where behavioural change is important, to benchmark attitudes and behaviours for longitudinal comparison, and test the effectiveness of policy.
