Major new EPA report assesses Ireland’s vulnerability to climate change impacts.
The EPA has today published the National Climate Change Risk Assessment which provides the first comprehensive assessment of where, when and how climate risks are likely to impact Ireland over the coming decades.
The National Climate Change Risk Assessment provides government, business, communities and other stakeholders the best available evidence and analysis to inform climate adaptation and resilience in Ireland at a national level. The National Climate Change Risk Assessment identifies 115 risks from projected changes in climate conditions, including in energy, transport, communications, water security, public health, food production and supply and ecosystems.
The significant risks identified by the report as requiring urgent action within the next five years are:
The risk of disruption and damage to communications and energy distribution infrastructure due to extreme wind.
The risk of disruption and damage to buildings and transport infrastructure, due to extreme wind, coastal erosion and coastal flooding.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today published the findings of Ireland’s first National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA). This major study was undertaken by the EPA in collaboration with government departments, state agencies, and other stakeholders to assess where, when and how climate risks are likely to impact Ireland over the coming decades.
The National Climate Change Risk Assessment provides government, business, communities and other stakeholders with the best available evidence and analysis to inform climate adaptation and resilience in Ireland at a national level. The risk assessment will support the development of Sectoral Adaptation Plans by key government departments, will guide the development of local authority adaptation plans and inform other national level adaptation responses.
The Risk Assessment identifies 115 risks from projected changes in climate conditions. Of these, 43 are deemed significant risks. The risks span all sectors of our economy, society, and environment from energy, transport and communications to water security, public health, food production and supply and ecosystems.
Speaking about the report, Ms Laura Burke, EPA Director General said: “We know that Ireland is being impacted by climate change already. This comprehensive assessment highlights the need for additional urgent action to ensure Ireland is sustainably resilient to the risks that we currently face, and will increasingly experience, in the coming decades.”
She added: “This report, the first National Climate Change Risk Assessment, clearly shows how risks cascade across sectors. Recent events, such as Storms Darragh and Éowyn, demonstrated how damage to critical infrastructure such as energy, water supply, transport and communications networks in turn give rise to impacts on human health, biodiversity and the financial system. Addressing these risks in an integrated and consistent way is key to achieving our national climate resilience objective.”
The significant risks identified by the report as requiring urgent action within the next five years are: (A) The risk of disruption and damage to communications and energy distribution infrastructure due to extreme wind. (B) The risk of disruption and damage to buildings and transport infrastructure due to extreme wind, coastal erosion and coastal flooding.
Additional significant risks that should be prioritised for further investigation in the next five years include risks to the built environment and human health from flooding and heat.
Commenting on the report, Dr Eimear Cotter, Director of the EPA’s Office of Evidence and Assessment, said: “Assessing climate risk is a key component of risk management and strategic planning. The National Climate Risk Assessment underscores the need for immediate action in the next five years to enhance the resilience of Ireland’s critical infrastructure to climate change. The risks with the most consequential and highest urgency ratings relate to extreme wind, coastal erosion and coastal flooding. These must be prioritised in adaptation and resilience actions to address climate risks and provide a basis for ensuring adaptation planning in Ireland is appropriately integrated across sectors.”
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Projections Show Ireland Off Track for 2030 Climate Targets.
Ireland is projected to achieve a reduction of up to 23 per cent in total greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to a National target of 51 per cent.
To achieve a reduction of 23 per cent would require full implementation of a wide range of policies and plans across all sectors and for these to deliver the anticipated carbon savings.
The first carbon budget and second carbon budget are projected to be exceeded with almost all sectors on a trajectory to exceed their national sectoral emissions ceilings for 2030.
Ireland will not meet its EU Effort Sharing Regulation target of 42 per cent reduction by 2030, instead a maximum reduction of 22% is projected.
Total emissions from the Land Sector are projected to increase by up to 95% and Ireland is unlikely to meet our European commitments in this area.
EPA analysis shows that planned climate policies and measures, if fully implemented, could deliver up to 23 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 compared to 2018, down from the 29 per cent reduction projected last year. This widening gap to the emissions reduction target of 51 per cent in Ireland’s Climate Act is driven by updated information provided by Governmental bodies.
The first Carbon Budget (2021-2025) of 295 Mt CO2eq is now projected to be exceeded by between 8 to 12 Mt CO2eq. The second budget is now projected to be exceeded by a significant margin of 77 to 114 Mt CO2eq, including carryover from the first Carbon Budget.
Transport, Industry and the Buildings (Residential) sectors are projected to be the furthest from their sectoral emission ceilings in 2030, with emission reductions of up to 21%, 12% and 22% respectively. Agriculture emissions are projected to reduce by up to 16%. A direct comparison of the Agriculture sector against its Sectoral Emission Ceiling is no longer viable due to the impact of updated science underpinning the estimated agriculture greenhouse gas emissions.
Ms Laura Burke, Director General, EPA said: “The EPA’s projections show that full delivery of all climate action plans and policies could deliver a 23 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Although emissions trends are going in the right direction, the gaps to our European and National emission reduction targets are now projected to be larger than last year. This highlights the economy-wide effort needed to decarbonise our society and the focus must shift from policy aspiration to practical implementation.”
Ms Burke added: “As we get closer to 2030 and receive more information on the impact of agreed policies and measures, it is concerning to see projected reductions and lack of progress in the delivery of actions to reduce emissions including in the electrification of our transport sector and the expansion of renewable electricity powering our homes and businesses and the implementation of carbon reduction measures in agriculture. Momentum is building for Ireland’s low carbon society, but we need to accelerate it and scale up the transition.”
Agriculture Depending on the level of implementation of measures outlined in Climate Action Plans, AgClimatise and Teagasc MACC, total emissions from the Agriculture sector will range from a 1 per cent increase to a 16 per cent decrease over the period of 2018 to 2030. Savings are projected from a variety of measures including limits on nitrogen fertiliser usage, switching to different fertilisers and bovine feed additives.
Transport Emissions from the sector are projected to reduce up to 21 per cent over the period 2018 to 2030 if the measures set out in plans and policies are implemented. These include over 640,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030, increased biofuel blend rates and measures to support more sustainable transport. Road freight is projected to be the biggest source of road transport greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Residential Emissions Emissions from the sector arise from fuel combustion for domestic space and hot water heating. These are projected to decrease by up to 22 per cent by 2030. Emission reduction measures in this sector include 571,000 domestic heat pumps are projected to be installed by 2030. Industry Fuel combustion in manufacturing is the primary source of emissions in this sector; process emissions from mineral, chemical, and metal industries contribute the next largest portion. Emissions from this sector are projected to reduce by 12 per cent over the period 2018 to 2030 with full implementation of measures including the accelerated uptake of carbon-neutral heating technologies for low and high temperature heating, and increased use of biomethane.
Energy Driven by a reduction in fossil fuel usage and increased net importation of electricity from interconnectors, there was a marked drop of over 21 per cent in emissions from electricity generation between 2022 and 2023. In combination with planned increases in renewable energy generation from wind and solar, energy sector emissions are projected to reduce by up to 68 per cent (over the period 2018 to 2030) and are projected to achieve over 68 per cent renewable electricity generation by 2030.
Land use Emissions from this sector are projected to increase between 39 per cent to 95 per cent over the period of 2018 to 2030 as our forestry reaches harvesting age and changes from a carbon sink to a carbon source. Planned policies and measures for the sector, such as increased afforestation, water table management on agricultural organic soils and peatland rehabilitation are projected to reduce the extent of the emissions increase.
Commenting, Ms Mary Frances Rochford, Programme Manager said: “The Agriculture sector has made some progress in reducing emissions through the successful rollout of actions on nitrogen fertilisers, low emission spreading technologies and national liming programmes. In parallel, in line with new research, the EPA refined the information underpinning the agricultural figures which has led to a reduction in the overall agriculture emission estimates. It is imperative that this new research and information is incorporated into updated carbon budgets and sectoral ceilings to ensure that they reflect latest science, data and knowledge on greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland and alignment with the national reduction target for the sector of 25%.”
Irish Government approval secured for the findings of the Review of Ireland’s opt-in Protocol on the area of freedom, security and justice (Protocol 21).
The findings of the Review, a legal mechanism that is part of the Treaties of the European Union and which uniquely provides for Ireland to be able to opt-into measures that relate to the area of freedom, security and justice on a case-by-case basis; has today been published.
Protocol 21, together with Protocol 19 and Protocol 20, provide Ireland with flexibility in its approach to European integration in potentially politically sensitive areas and allows for a pragmatic approach to its engagement with the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ).
The review, which is available HERE, was undertaken by the Department of Justice and informed by detailed statistical analysis of relevant legislation, internal and external consultations, and by a targeted consultation process with a range of key stakeholders, facilitated by the Institute for International and European Affairs (IIEA).
The Review recommends that Ireland continue to be covered by Protocol 21. It also recommends that greater adherence be given to the undertaking in Declaration No. 56, which was made by Ireland at the time of the negotiation of the Protocol, and which commits to Irelands participating, to the maximum extent possible, in all measure covered by the Protocol.
The Review’s headline recommendations, approved by Government, are that:
Ireland should continue to be covered by the terms of Protocol 21.
That greater adherence be given to the undertaking in Declaration No. 56 to the Treaties to exercise Ireland’s right under Article 3 of Protocol 21 to take part in JHA measures to the maximum extent possible.
The review also recommends the following additional actions that the Department of Justice should consider further:
To participate in Justice and Home Affairs(JHA) measures by default, opting out only where concrete and well-defined national interests are at stake.
To undertake a comprehensive, retrospective review of all the Protocol 21-related measures in which we do not participate and determine whether we can accede to these measures or not.
To consider, to the extent practicable, mirroring via domestic legislation those EU measures which it has not opted into due to administrative constraints.
To explore the possibility of joining the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
To explore the creation of a specialised body to facilitate the processing of mutual assistance and mutual recognition requests in a more efficient way.
Photograph taken exactly 100 years ago in 1924 in Southern Ireland.
“Think Of Others” Poem by Mahmoud Darwish.
As you prepare your breakfast — think of others. Don’t forget to feed the pigeons. As you conduct your wars — think of others. Don’t forget those who want peace. As you pay your water bill — think of others. Think of those who have only the clouds to drink from. As you go home, your own home — think of others — don’t forget those who live in tents. As you sleep and count the stars, think of others — there are people who have no place to sleep. As you liberate yourself with metaphors think of others — those who have lost their right to speak. And as you think of distant others — think of yourself and say, ‘I wish I were a candle in the darkness.’
Research report entitled “Operation of In Camera Rule in Family Law Proceedings” now published.
Today the Review of the Operation of the ‘In Camera’ Rule in Family Law proceedings was published. The review, latter a key action in the Family Justice Strategy, was conducted by a team from University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin.
Some types of court proceedings, including family law proceedings, are not open to members of the public; they are held in private; or what is often termed ‘in camera’, with restrictions placed on what can be reported. The intention behind this is to ensure the privacy of the parties in such proceedings and any children to whom those proceedings may relate.
This is being observed as an important piece of research which details the perspectives of many stakeholders regarding the current understanding and operation of the ‘in camera’ rule in family law proceedings. Importantly, it includes the views of those who have been parties in such proceedings, with the authors of this report being Dr Aisling Parkes, Dr Simone McCaughren and Dr Kenneth Burns.
Currently, the starting point for any consideration of the ‘in camera’ rule, whether in family law proceedings or otherwise, is Article 34.1 of the Constitution which provides that justice shall be administered in public, save such special and limited cases as may be prescribed by law.
The new report contains 21 recommendations in total, including:
The need to retitle the rule to ensure it is understood by all family court users.
That it is clearly and consistently defined.
That its operation does not impede parties accessing support outside Court.
The report also recommends that family law proceedings continue to be held in private, and that the privacy rights of children and parties to proceedings be maintained. It recommends that the Court should retain its discretion to lift the rule in cases where it is deemed to be in the interest of justice to do so.
The report also contains a number of recommendations to promote greater transparency, including that there should be a presumptive right for all journalists and other authorised members of the media who are members of the Irish Press Council and subscribe to its ethics and standards and/or those of Coimisiún na Meán (Media Commission) to attend family law proceedings.
It also recommends that a private family law reporting system be established.
Officials will now consider this report and revert by the end of this year with policy proposals for government consideration that will reform the ‘in camera’ rule. In the coming weeks a tender is expected to be issued for the establishment of a Private Family Law Reporting Project.
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