Climate Change Advisory Council Review: The Gaps Between Climate Action Policy and Climate Action Delivery

The Climate Change Advisory Council’s Annual Review 2021 identifies a significant gap between climate action policy and climate action delivery. This includes delays in implementation of the 2019 Climate Action Plan, missing the 2020 emissions reduction targets and the lack of a long-term emissions reduction strategy.

The Review emphasises the urgency of shifting from planning to action in order to reduce emissions and to put Ireland on track to achieve climate neutrality and climate resilience by 2050.

The Council urges that the 2021 Climate Action Plan be implemented in full and on time. Focusing on implementation is made more difficult by the fact that the Annual Transition Statement for 2020 is overdue, the long-term emissions reduction strategy remains outstanding, and the detailed Climate Action Plan Annex of Actions has not yet been published.

The Council acknowledges that positive steps in climate change mitigation and adaptation have occurred but there remains a significant gap between climate action planning and climate action implementation.

Addressing this implementation gap Chairperson of the Council, Marie Donnelly said:

“Ireland’s failure to meet its targets is due to not matching the ambition of plans with timely and complete delivery of actions. For example, many of the measures in the original 2019 Climate Action Plan have been delayed. The time lag between policy development, implementation and actual emissions reduction means that unless Government takes action now, we will be unable to meet our targets in future years. The implementation of the carbon budgets published by the Council in October will be unachievable if this pattern within Irish climate policy is not overcome.”

The Council says that greater action is also needed to address the current and future impacts of climate change on Ireland’s economy, society and environment through adaptation. For the first time, the Review includes an ‘Adaptation Scorecard’ which considers progress across the 12 National Adaptation Framework (NAF) sectors, local government and the NAF itself.

The ‘Flood Risk Management’ and ‘Water Quality and Water Services Infrastructure’ sectors have implemented the most substantial adaptation plans, but the Council has found little progress in the ‘Health’ and ‘Communications Networks’ sectors. Demand for electricity is going to increase significantly in the coming years, and so far, there is only limited progress in building the resilience of the ‘Electricity and Gas Networks’ sector to climate impacts.

Discussing climate change adaptation Marie Donnelly said:

“Climate change adaptation will be vital in order to protect our environment and society against changes in extreme temperatures, droughts and intense rainfall events. The Council has found that some sectors are more prepared than others, but overall there remains a real need for more meaningful leadership and coordination regarding adaptation across Government. The Council has been unable to give the highest score for adaptation progress to any sector.”

Marie Donnelly concluded:

“The journey to climate neutrality will be challenging for everyone, but we must ensure Government supports target poorer households and those whose livelihoods currently rely on carbon-intensive economic activities.”

About the Annual Review and the Council

The Annual Review 2021 is the fifth annual review carried out by the Climate Change Advisory Council. Each year the Council is mandated to review Ireland’s performance during the immediately preceding year (in this case 2020) regarding the achievement of the country’s national climate aims through climate change mitigation and adaptation, and compliance with European Union (EU) and international obligations related to climate action.

The Climate Change Advisory Council provides independent and science-based advice to Government and policymakers on what Ireland needs to do to achieve a climate-resilient, biodiversity-rich, environmentally sustainable and climate-neutral economy by 2050. It is also tasked with assessing the progress made towards this goal. The Council was established under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015.

The implementation gap

Despite positive steps, the Council commented that there are a number of critical gaps in implementation where policy and ambition is not yet translating into the necessary action, as it follows

• Ireland has failed to meet its 2020 target of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions under the EU Effort Sharing Decision and will have to purchase emissions allowances from other Member States to meet the shortfall.

• Many of the measures in the 2019 Climate Action Plan were delayed, with the transport and heat sectors of particular concern. Timely delivery of measures is essential if we are to meet our targets.

• The national Climate Action Delivery Board, whose role is to hold each department and public body accountable for the delivery of actions set out in the Climate Action Plan, did not meet in 2020 despite a commitment to meet quarterly.

• The Annual Transition Statement for 2020 has not yet been published.

• The publication of the National Coastal Change Management Strategy expected in Q1 2021 is overdue.

• Ireland has not yet submitted a mandatory Long-Term Strategy to the EU due by the 1 January 2020 under the 2018 Energy Governance Regulation, nor a voluntary submission to the UNFCCC.

Adaptation Scorecard

Ireland’s first National Adaptation Framework (NAF) was published on 19 January 2018. It identifies 12 key sectors under the remit of seven Government Ministers where sectoral adaptation plans were to be prepared for approval by Government. These have a five-year lifespan in line with the NAF which is to be reviewed at least every five years.

Some Departments produced plans covering more than one sector, meaning that nine plans address the 12 sectors. Under the NAF each local authority also prepared a local climate change adaptation strategy.

For the first time this Annual Review includes an ‘adaptation scorecard’ to measure the progress of the sectors which were required to prepare adaptation plans under the NAF, local government and the implementation of the NAF itself. The Council has been unable to give the highest overall score to any sector. ‘Communications Networks’ and ‘Health’ have received the lowest rating and the ‘Electricity and Gas Networks’ sector only shows limited progress.

About Emissions Trends

In 2019, total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions fell 4.6% relative to 2018. Simultaneously, they were 9.9% higher in 2019 relative to the main reference year 1990. Emissions peaked in 2001 (Table 1.2 and Figure 1.2).

Provisional EPA estimates of emissions in 2020 suggest GHG emissions fell by 3.6% at a time of significant pandemic restrictions, but, without further substantial and sustained policy interventions, this will be reversed with economic recovery.

It has been suggested that Ireland will not meet its EU Effort Sharing Decision ‘ESD’ overall emissions reduction target for the period 2013 to 2020, through domestic actions, and will require the purchase of emissions allowances to meet the shortfall.

National emissions projections published in June 2021 also suggest a significant exceedance of targets under the EU Effort Sharing Regulation to 2030 without the full use of the flexibilities anticipated in the Regulation.