Ireland publishes climate bill

Ireland published a climate bill on Tuesday, setting out the national objective of transitioning to "a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy up to the year 2050".

The bill, titled "Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015", gives a solid statutory foundation to the institutional arrangements necessary to enable the country to achieve that national transition objective.

As Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions profile are predominantly made up of emissions from agriculture, transport, energy and the built environment, it is anticipated that it is in these sectors that most mitigation effort will be required.

The bill will also underpin the certainty required for policy makers and business in respect of what mitigation efforts are going to be taken up to 2020 and 2030, as well as setting the scene for future mitigation objectives beyond those timeframes up to the year 2050.

"Mitigation effort is a global responsibility and no more so in respect of our collective preparation for agreement in Paris at the end of this year, however it is important that developed countries such as Ireland provide leadership in terms of their contribution and the framework underpinned by this bill will enable such a response to be developed well into the future," said Irish Environment Minister Alan Kelly.

Kelly said that no specific climate change legislation has ever been enacted in Ireland.

"I intend to rectify that to ensure that Ireland's response to climate change is consolidated and that our long-term planning for future mitigation and adaptation is underpinned by statutorily robust operational arrangements," he said. Endit