I welcome the recent adoption of the European regulation for the establishment of a Social Climate Fund. As set out in the 2023 Climate Action Plan, this Government is committed to a just transition towards a climate neutral Irish society by no later than 2050.
The preparation of the a Social Climate Plan, as required by the Regulation, will build on some of the ongoing work of my Department in this regard, including:
• Implementation of key measures needed to combat energy poverty in Ireland as published in the 2022 Energy Poverty Action Plan.
• The ongoing socially progressive National Residential Retrofit Plan that has been allocated €5 billion of carbon tax revenues to 2030.
• Redistribution of carbon tax revenues to support targeted social welfare payments to low-income households.
Last month, officials in my Department met with the European Commission and representatives of other Member States at the first Social Climate Fund formation of the Commission Expert Group on Climate Change Policy (CCEG – SCF) to discuss the implementation of the Social Climate Fund and the preparation of the Social Climate Plans. The group is currently considering how best to engage with the general public and accurately reflect their input in the Social Climate Plans.
Ireland proposes to use existing public engagement platforms, such as the National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA), where possible, to communicate with stakeholders. Officials in my Department are considering this, as well as other methods of engagement, and will prepare a plan outlining proposals for public engagement.
Ireland is uniquely positioned to address the stakeholder engagement element of the Social Climate Fund Regulation due to our NDCA, a well-established tool for public consultation. Initially founded in 2017, the NDCA has since become an integral component of raising awareness on and engagement with climate action in Ireland. A key pillar of the NDCA is to facilitate active engagement at regional and local levels in climate action and conduct public consultations. Further information on the NDCA can be found at: gov.ie - National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA) (www.gov.ie).
