Following significant public consultation and cross-party collaboration, climate legislation in Ireland is now one of the most stringent in the world.
Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action, and Green Party Spokesperson for Climate Action, Brian Leddin TD said: "The urgency and importance of this legislation is starkly demonstrated today as we see across every continent in the world the realities of the rapidly escalating climate crisis – with unprecedented flooding and heat domes, communities and livelihoods destroyed and catastrophic damage to wildlife and nature.
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"The Climate Act provides the framework for Ireland to meet its international and EU climate commitments with a legally binding path to net-Zero emissions no later than 2050. We have no time to waste, now the real work begins. The Climate Action Plan 2021 will be published in early autumn and this will set out the measures to be taken to reach our targets in each sector of the economy."
Green Party Senator Pauline O'Reilly, also a member of the Climate Action Committee, said: "Now that the legislation has been passed, the independent Climate Change Advisory Council is strengthened under law and can begin developing carbon budgets. The legislation requires all carbon budgets to be in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and will target a reduction of 51% by 2030.
"A just transition will be at the core of these decisions, and communities across Ireland will be involved throughout the process in order to secure a sustainable future for our children."
