The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act, 2021 committed Ireland to a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030 and to moving towards achieving “net-Zero” greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2050.
These ambitious and legally binding emissions targets will see a transition to a climate resilient, biodiversity rich, environmentally sustainable and climate neutral economy. The Local Authority Sector is at the forefront of climate adaptation and mitigation, community engagement, sustainable development and emergency planning and is therefore, identified as key to delivering on Ireland’s national Climate Action targets.
Tipperary County Council is required to prepare a Local Authority Climate Action Plan (CAP) which will outline the pathway for County Tipperary to reduce its emissions by the required 51% by 2030. The CAP will include both mitigation and adaptation measures and will be updated every five years. Tipperary County Council’s CAP will actively translate national climate policy into local actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its own infrastructure and assets, whilst also influencing and facilitating others within the county to meet their own targets.
Local Authorities are required to complete their individual plans by February 2024.
Tipperary County Council’s CAP will be an ambitious plan that will be evidence based and have real actions and targets. The CAP will be developed in a transparent and participative way, with input from all stakeholders through a pre-draft non-statutory consultation in March / April 2023 and a formal public consultation process in October / November 2023.
Phases of developing the Climate Action Plan
Themes in the Climate Action Plan will likely include:
- Governance
- Just Transition
- Citizen Engagement
- Public Sector leading by example
- Carbon pricing & cross cutting policy
- Electricity
- Enterprise
- Built Environment
- National retrofit plan
- Transport
- Agriculture
- Land use, land use change, forestry and marine
- The Circular Economy
- International action in climate breakdown
- Adaptation.
Phase 1, the “Advanced Planning Stage”, is progressing and Tipperary County Council is currently building on its Climate Adaptation Strategy 2019-2024 and is establishing the evidence base required for the CAP, including preparation of:
- A Climate Risk Assessment, and
- A Baseline Emissions Inventory.
