The Government has published its Climate Action Bill and Low Development Bill, which provides a legal framework for significantly reducing Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions.
It contains a National Climate Objective which commits the country to "pursue and achieve, by no later than the end of the year 2050" carbon neutral status.
The Bill states this would enable Ireland to "transition to a climate resilient, biodiversity rich, environmentally sustainable and climate neutral economy".
The means by which the goal will be achieved is through what are termed carbon budgets.
This means placing a ceiling, or limit, on the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases which can be emitted by all sectors of the economy - such as transport or agriculture - over a five-year period.
The Bill includes an Interim Target which involves "a reduction of 51% in the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions over the course of the first two budget periods ending on 31 December 2030".
The entity which will devise the Carbon Budget is the Climate Change Advisory Committee (CCAC), a body which is to be expanded from 11 to 14 members.
Read: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021
The CCAC will propose the carbon budget to the Minister for Climate Action, who in turn will present it to Cabinet for approval.
The bill states that the CCAC must "have regard to climate justice when carrying out its functions", which basically means ensuring that people and the environment are treated fairly when action is being taken to reduce emissions.
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Action will be given enhanced powers of scrutiny under the Bill.
Each relevant minister must attend the committee, each year, to give account of their actions under the plan.
If the committee should decide to make a policy recommendation, the individual minister must provide a response in writing within a period of three months.
It is also stipulated that local authorities must also develop their own climate action plans, which specify both the mitigation and adaptation measures it plans to adopt.
The public is to be consulted about the Bill - the eight-week period will run from today until 18 May.
