Passed first ever legally binding law to halve carbon emissions by 2030

The Green Party in Government in 2007 attempted to introduce legislation with legally binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Government of the time fell before this bill became law. The Green Party entered Government in 2020 and by July 2021, the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 was signed into law, making climate legislation in Ireland one of the most stringent in the world and a first step in reversing Ireland's reputation of climate laggard to climate action leader.

The new Climate Action Plan is the most detailed and ambitious in the history of the state. It sets out a roadmap for Ireland with the targets and measures necessary to meet our commitments to halve our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. The plan is on a statutory footing for the first time ever, which means that ministers now have legal responsibility for ensuring their sectors meet their emissions reduction targets.

The Climate Action Plan is our roadmap to bring about systemic change across our society – in every community and every sector. Among the most critical measures in the plan is to increase the proportion of renewable electricity to up to 80% by 2030. This will not only reduce our emissions from electricity, it will allow us to electrify other sectors such as transport and heat which will in turn reduce our emissions in these sectors too.

These changes will also bring about a better future for Ireland with cleaner air and water, warmer homes, reduction in waste and throw away culture and a thriving economy with significant growth in green jobs.