Public Consultation on Ireland’s Current Long-term Strategy for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions, 7 July 2023
The most pressing long-term global challenge of our time is Climate Action.
As global temperatures continue to rise, the risks for nature, society, and the economy increase. Ireland has committed fully to playing its part alongside the EU and international efforts to avoid dangerous climate change.
At the EU level, each state has agreed to prepare a long-term strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications sought feedback through public consultation on the current draft strategy.
A group of Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly members prepared and agreed on the following submission. The members are elected to Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Council, Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council, Kildare County Council, Meath County Council, Louth County Council, Wicklow County Council, Laois County Council, Offaly County Council and Longford County Council.
Key points in the submission:
There should also be a risk assessment of existing policies undermining the LTS.
Decision tools must be integrated into short-term choices, aligning investment with the LTS's goals.
The time lost to incrementalism leaves the +1.5 °C limit beyond attainment.
There is a need for more clarity around overshooting the short-term emissions reduction targets and the implications for recovering from possible negative emissions budgets post-2030. The LTS should address these scenarios.
The LTS should consider recently reported climate changes and analyse the risk of not delivering on the required targeted emissions reductions.
Regional-level policies to deliver meaningful emissions reduction targets should be measured to build more localised ownership and momentum towards emissions reductions.
Economic policies expressed at national, regional, and local levels should be articulated to align with the LTS for emissions reductions.
Economic development be repositioned within the planetary boundaries of social equity and emissions limits.
Information
Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications' Public Consultation on Ireland’s Current Long-term Strategy for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions [link]
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