Climate action

Climate action in Ireland

Climate disruption is already having diverse and wide-ranging impacts on our society, environment, economy and natural resources.

"Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, sea level has risen, and the concentration of greenhouse gases have increased" (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC, 2013)

"…human activities are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels, with a likely range of 0.8°C to 1.2°C. Global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase at the current rate’" (IPCC, 2018)

"…The loss of species, ecosystems and genetic diversity is already a global and generational threat to human well-being. Protecting the invaluable contributions of nature to people will be the defining challenge of decades to come. Policies, efforts and actions - at every level - will only succeed, however, when based on the best knowledge and evidence"

Ireland is set to significantly step up its commitments to tackle climate disruption. The leadership role both the government and public bodies can play in taking early action on climate is fundamental to achieving our decarbonisation goals (DECC 2021).

Taking action to help our climate

Our role in the protection of our environment goes hand-in-hand with the issue of climate change. Ireland's government has put in place a detailed statutory and policy framework to address climate action (both climate mitigation and adaptation) via Ireland’s Climate Action Plan, 2019 which we actively support.

By protecting and enhancing our natural environment, we can all play our part in mitigating the dangers of climate change. To achieve a sustainable, low-carbon, resource-efficient economy by 2050 requires policies and actions that minimise unsustainable resource use and environmental degradation, while promoting environmental awareness and environmentally sustainable behaviours.

We are fully aligned with the Irish government’s ambition to develop and implement policies and measures that drive economic and social progress, and which also improve and safeguard our natural environment for the future (DECC 2021). We recognise the need for ambitious climate action to ensure a sustainable future, and have been putting our policies into practice for several years now.

Limiting global warming to 1.5°C will require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of the economy and society, in terms of how we live, work and travel. As an organisation, we are fully committed to playing our part and being leaders in delivering the public service climate action that is so desperately needed.

To do this, we aim to maximise our contribution to achieving the following key governmental sustainability objectives: