Backloaded carbon budget aims for 4.8% annual cut until 2025

BLUEPRINT Minister Ryan must now prepare individual emissions ceilings for each sector of the economy

The proposal for Ireland's carbon budget sees the lion's share of the required cuts pushed back to the second half of this decade.

The Climate Change Advisory Council today submitted its proposal for Ireland’s first carbon budget programme to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan.

The programme is broken down into three five-year carbon budgets. Carbon budgets prescribe the maximum amount of greenhouse gases that may be emitted over a specific period of time in the State.

The first two carbon budgets in the programme provide for the 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the state by 2030 relative to 2018 as set out in the Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development (Amendment) Act.

In it they seek an annual cut of 4.8% until 2025, and from 2026-2030 the targets are set at annual cuts of 8.3%.

A spokesperson for the Council outlined that the first carbon budget has built in the implications of the time-lag between making decisions and investments on the one hand, and on the other hand, seeing the emissions reductions come into effect.

"It should also be recalled that the first year of the first carbon budget period is almost over," said the spokesperson.

"Therefore, the Council does not believe that a 7% per annum reduction in the first carbon budget period is appropriate. However, the Council stresses that the carbon budget programme for the decade requires immediate action and investment in the first period in order to deliver the accelerated reductions in the second carbon budget period which are required to meet the 2030 target of a 51% reduction relative to 2018."

Impact on society

Commenting on the programme, Marie Donnelly, Chair of the Council said: “The proposed carbon budgets will have an impact on society and the economy but allow us to act on climate change in a planned and organised way. The budget is based on the best available science and defines an appropriate and necessary path to addressing the climate challenge. Many of the changes required now will only have a real impact on emissions in the second period.

"Now is the time to put policies and supports in place that will help those people, communities and businesses that will be impacted by the significant changes we need to make to how we live, work and travel.”

The Council’s submission marks the first step in the budgetary process. Once the carbon budget programme has been adopted by the Government and the Oireachtas, Minister Ryan will prepare individual emissions ceilings for each sector of the economy in consultation with other relevant Ministers.

Ms Donnelly concluded: “The carbon budgets provide a framework, but what is urgently required is transformative change which is led by all of Government on a sustained basis, supported by all sectors of the economy, and all members of society. This will require significant investment across the economy.”

The scientific advice, data and reasoning which informed the Council’s proposed carbon budget programme are outlined in a detailed technical report available on www.climatecouncil.ie/carbonbudgets