THE GOVERNMENT HAS published an updated version of its strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

It’s the latest of several updates and the government has said that it is designed to serve as a “link” between shorter-term carbon budgets and longer term objectives. 

This version highlights the need for immediate global action to reduce emissions in order to slow the impact of climate change. 

The aim is to keep the global average temperature well below 2⁰C above pre-industrial levels.

Countries are supposed to aim to increase their resilience to climate change and lower emissions, “in a manner that does not threaten food production” and that allows sustainable transitions in energy, ecosystems and infrastructure.

In January, the European Commission closed infringement proceedings against Ireland over the government being years-late in submitting its long-term climate strategy. 

The proceedings were closed 15 months after they were first issued in 2022 as the government finally sent a version of the strategy to Europe.

Speaking about the latest strategy, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan said it’s important “we bring people with us”.

“Planning over a 30-year time horizon will help Ireland to avoid costly investments in high-emissions technologies and unnecessary additional compliance costs.

“It will also help ensure that we can put in place the systems and infrastructure needed to ensure that everyone can benefit from the transition ahead of us, in a fair and equitable way.

“In everything we do over the coming decades, it is absolutely imperative we inform and bring people with us, from large-scale investors to small farmers.”

Paris Agreement

In 2018, a European Union Regulation set out that member states should develop 30-year strategies laying down how they plan to tackle the climate crisis to help fulfil EU requirements under the crucial Paris Agreement.

Member states were given 13 months to compile their strategies and submit them to the European Commission by 1 January 2020. 

Poland is now the only country to not yet produce a long-term strategy. 

The annex of actions for last year’s Climate Action Plan listed the completion of the strategy at the top of a list of hundreds of measures.

Climate crisis

The European Commission has outlined that “stable long-term strategies are crucial to help achieve the economic transformation needed and broader sustainable development goals”.

The world is already experiencing devastating impacts of climate change.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service has confirmed that 2023 was the hottest year of modern temperature records, which date back to 1850, replacing 2016 as the previous record-holder.

Additionally, the service’s deputy head Samantha Burgess said that “temperatures during 2023 likely exceed those of any period in at least the last 100,000 years”.

Written weather records are available back to around 1850, but scientists can understand how the earth’s climate functioned before then through information taken from sources like tree rings, ice cores and sediments.

“Not only is 2023 the warmest year on record, it is also the first year with all days over 1C warmer than the pre-industrial period,” Burgess said.

Extreme events around the world in 2023 had significant impacts on human health, ecosystems, nature and infrastructure, the Copernicus report said, with “exceptional” instances of flooding, wildfires, drought and extreme heat.