Local Authorities have a key role to play in addressing climate breakdown to meet Ireland’s national climate targets, and they have been given an expanded mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the statutory requirement to prepare Local Authority Climate Action Plans (LA CAPs). The LA CAPs must be consistent with the most recently approved National Climate Action Plan and include both mitigation and adaptation measures. I made a request to each Local Authority to begin preparation of their plans in February 2023 and issued statutory guidelines to support them in this work in March 2023.
As part of its LA CAP, each Local Authority is responsible for establishing Decarbonisation Zones (DZs) which are intended to be the focus for a range of climate mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity measures. The statutory guidelines include a separate annex to in relation to DZs.
The LA CAPs will strengthen the alignment between national climate policy and the delivery of effective local climate action, and are due to be adopted by each Local Authority in Q1 2024. Once adopted, implementation of the actions listed in the plan will commence.
Further to my response to Parliamentary Question 10 of 16 November 2023, I understand neither my Department nor the bodies under the aegis of my Department, have had engagement with Galway City or County Councils in relation to the development of their LA CAPs or preparation of their DZs to date in 2024.
