Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 November 2021
53. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to the economic impact of the carbon cuts his Department plans to implement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53707/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 25 October 2021, the Climate Change Advisory Council proposed a programme of three successive five-year carbon budgets. The proposed carbon budgets will now go to Government and then to the Oireachtas. The Oireachtas will be tasked with reviewing these carbon budgets within a 4-month period. Once these economy-wide carbon budgets are approved, the Government will divide the overall carbon budgets into sectoral emissions ceilings.
Meanwhile, the Government will publish Climate Action Plan 2021. This plan will set out indicative ranges of emissions reductions for all sectors. It will also set out the practical measures that we need to take to meet our climate targets. My Department has engaged proactively with the public, stakeholders and other Government Departments to deliver an ambitious, fair and achievable Climate Action Plan. This ambitious plan has been developed following a range of analyses conducted across all sectors of our economy.
There will be different targets for each sector, based on their respective starting points and the relative difficulty, cost, speed, and benefits of reducing emissions. All sectors will reduce emissions by an ambitious and achievable percentage, each playing a vital role in meeting our targets. Certain sectors will be impacted more than others and the need to ensure the transition happens in a fair and just manner will be crucial. Ireland will significantly benefit overall by reducing the impacts of climate change on our people, our land, and our livelihoods.
The measures which will be set out in the Climate Action Plan will require fundamental changes across many aspects of Irish life. Nonetheless, these challenges will present us with opportunities to create a cleaner, greener economy and a society which cuts emissions, while creating jobs and protecting our people and the planet.
