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The National Climate Change Strategy
In April 2007, the Government published Ireland’s second the National Climate Change strategy covering the period 2007 – 2012. (www.environ.ie) This Strategy sets out, in a detailed and specific way, the measures that are in place to enable Ireland to meet its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol in the period 2008-2012. It also brings together a non-exaustive range of actions being examined to reduce Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions further in the period beyond that covered by the Kyoto Protocol, with a focus on 2020. National Climate Change strategy 2007 – 2012
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The Change Campaign
A key element of the Climate Change Strategy 2007 – 2012 is the Climate Change Awareness Campaign which is now well underway. This campaign is designed to raise public awareness of climate change, its causes, impacts and implications for Ireland. 2008 saw the launch of the information campaign along with the launch of the campaign’s website and a carbon calculator. At the end of 2008 there were 190,250 hits on the website of which 155,370 were unique and 91,734 carbon footprint calculations had been carried out. Spring 2009 will see the launch of the Carbon Management Tool which will allow businesses to calculate their carbon footprint and benchmark themselves against organisations in their sector. (www.change.ie)
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National Adaption Strategy
The Department of the Environment Heritage and Local Government’s climate change Strategy includes a commitment to publish a National Adaptation strategy. The intention is that the adaptation strategy will provide a framework for the integration of adaptation issues into decision-making at national and local level. It will outline how Ireland should adapt to the impacts of climate change across the various sectors of the economy. The Strategy is being prepared in consultation with other Government Departments and key stakeholders.
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Carbon Budget
The introduction of the State’s carbon budget in December 2007. In October 2008, Minister Gormley presented his second Carbon Budget which drew together the key national responses to greenhouse gas emission reductions for the purposes of the Kyoto Protocol and beyond. It was acknowledged that Ireland would meet its EU commitment for the purposes of the Kyoto Protocol, but the challenges were considered to be greater than previously projected and the gap would be bridged by a combination of further measures and the purchase of carbon credits under the flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. To this end and in its role as purchasing agent on behalf of the State under the Carbon Fund Act 2007, the National Treasury Management Agency purchased some 3.5 million carbon credits in 2008, in accordance with the policy framework set out in Annex 3 of the National Climate Change Strategy. In addition, the Government committed itself to developing further measures to get to grips with the climate challenge, reduce purchases of carbon credits and bring Ireland on track for the annual average 3% reduction in emissions to which such a commitment was given in the Programme for Government. (www.environ.ie) (Carbon Budget Statement)
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The Cabinet Sub - Committee
The Cabinet Sub-Committee on climate Change and Energy Security was established in June 2007. It is responsible for the co-ordination of work across Government with respect to the climate change agenda.
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Power of One Programme
The national energy efficiency awareness campaign, The Power of One Programme, will continue to work closely with the Change Campaign to raise awareness of the energy cost and CO2 saving potential of energy efficiency and encourage long term behavioural change.
Environmental Protection Agency Seminar Series
In order to raise awareness of the issues of climate change and the reality of climate change, and to inform the public of the latest information from top climate change experts in the world, the EPA ran a seven-part climate change lecture series from November 2007 to April 2008. This was followed with an occasional lecture in October 2008. The lecture series explored key aspects of climate change ranging from predictions and impacts, to its economic and political consequences. An impressive group of international speakers presented a comprehensive assessment of the facts, challenges and opportunities arising from a changing global climate. These lectures generated an unprecedented response from the public with over 450 attendees at each lecture. The Q&A sessions at these lectures proved that there was wide ranging interest, knowledge and a wide spectrum of concern, amongst the general public. The EPA also, for the first time, made each of the lectures available as video broadcasts on the website at www.epa.ie .