Published: Thursday, January 25, 2024
CHAIR'S STATEMENT: Reaction to the publication of Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment Report (ICCA)
Chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council’s reaction to the publication of Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment Report (ICCA)
25th January 2024
The Chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) welcomes the publication today (25 January 2024) of the EPA’s first ‘Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment Report (ICCA)’.
This innovative report, developed by the EPA, provides important analysis and insights from academics, expert stakeholders and organisations across Ireland on where we stand on climate change in terms of its current and future impacts.
Commenting on the report Council Chair, Marie Donnelly said: “This report significantly adds to the national understanding of climate change and once again confirms the need for immediate action to help us meet Ireland’s National Climate objectives. We need to respond to the current and projected impacts of climate change in Ireland and to the challenges and opportunities that come with a rapid reduction in our emissions.”
The report contains a wide range of useful findings across the different dimensions of climate change, in particular:
- Ireland’s vulnerability to climate change across individuals, communities, sectors and ecosystems. The recent impact and disruption of extreme weather events such as Storms Isha and Jocelyn demonstrate this vulnerability and point to deficits in Ireland’s adaptation preparedness;
- Ireland’s built environment is exposed to flooding from rivers, the sea and heavy rainfall, while coastal areas are at risk from sea level rise, storm surges and coastal erosion;
- Current implementation of adaptation actions are too slow and fragmented and there is a need for a significantly increased budget allocation for adaptation action across both public and private sectors;
- The vital importance of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide to at least net-zero, while other greenhouse gas emissions also need to be reduced substantially and on a sustained basis. Every increment of additional warming will increase the impacts of climate change in Ireland and around the world;
- That despite our much improved legal basis for taking action in Ireland arising from the revised Climate Act aligned with the EU Fit for 55 Package there remains a significant gap between ambition and action;
- That Ireland is at a critical juncture. Decisions made today will have a significant impact for decades to come and there is a need for a transformative vision to underpin action at this time. The need for a clearly elaborated, comprehensive and visionary long term strategy has never been more urgent.
Marie Donnelly, added: “The Government has a vital role to play in setting out the vision for Ireland to achieve its national climate objective through its Long Term Strategy. Challenges need to be clearly set out, along with opportunities for households, communities and workers, along with indicative timelines for change. No person, community, organisation, Government Department or Agency should be left in any doubt of the level of priority that should be attached to achieving that crucial goal.
“In the more immediate term, Government must redouble its efforts to rapidly implement measures to reduce our emissions whilst making Ireland better prepared for the impacts of climate change. To support this, there must be effective and consistent engagement with communities, ensuring there is a fair and equitable transition, while building and maintaining public support and action.”
The report is available at https://www.epa.ie/our-services/monitoring--assessment/climate-change/irelands-climate-change-assessment-icca/
ENDS
For further information please contact
Shane Finnegan (shane@aikenpr.com or 00447764534565)
Seamus Donnelly (seamus@aikenpr.com or 00447729556480)
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