Date: 28 Apr 2023
Publication of EU-mandated long-term climate strategy.
Government has approved the draft Long-Term strategy on GHG Emission Reductions for submission to the European Commission. 'Ireland had prepared a draft of the Long-term Strategy on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction in 2019, its submission to the European Commission was paused to ensure it aligned with new domestic climate ambition, including that which was set in Irish law in 2021and that which is presented in Ireland’s updated Climate Action Plan 2023'.
The government also intends to prepare an additional, updated version of the strategy by the end of this year as committed to in the Annex of Actions that accompanied Climate Action Plan 2023. A consultation will launch shortly.
Background
Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council on
the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action requires each Member State to
prepare and submit to the Commission a long-term strategy with a perspective of at least 30
years and that the long-term strategy should contribute to fulfilling the Union's and the Member States' commitments under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and enhance removals by sinks and to promote increased carbon sequestration.
In 2019, a substantive public consultation was carried out to inform Ireland’s Long-term Strategy. Following the consultation, a comprehensive draft Long-term Strategy was prepared in line with the then climate ambition set out in Ireland’s Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. Following a change of Government in 2020, there was a substantial increase in our climate ambition, including new legislation providing for a 51% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 and to achieve climate neutrality by no later than the end of 2050. As a result, submission of Ireland’s draft Long-term Strategy to the European Commission was paused to ensure it fully aligned with the new domestic climate ambition.
The Long-term Strategy has now been revised to ensure that it aligns with Ireland’s increased climate ambition and targets as legislated for in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, including Ireland’s carbon budgets, sectoral emissions ceilings and Climate Action Plan 2023.
While the 2019 consultation and associate responses remain valid and provide valuable input to the Long term Strategy for submission to the European Commission, the Department considers it prudent to carry out a further public consultation in light of the important climate policy developments since the introduction of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021.
As such, the Long-term Strategy that will be submitted to the European Commission will be used as the basis for launching a further public consultation to prepare an updated Longterm Strategy by the end of 2023, as committed to in Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2023 Annex of Actions.
The updated Strategy will be prepared and published in line with the provisions set out by our national legislation, which includes the need to have regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/1999. Therefore, the updated Long-term Strategy will conform to both EU and national requirements. Once finalised, it will be brought to government for approval with a view to publishing and submitting, as an updated version, to the European Commission.