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(Amendment) Bill 2020

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(Amendment) Bill 2020 An Comhchoiste um Ghníomhú ar son na hAeráide Tuarascáil maidir leis an nGrinnscrúdú Réamhreachtach ar an Dréacht-Bhille um Ghníomhú ar son na hAeráide agus um Fhorbairt Ísealcharbóin (Leasú), 2020 Nollaig 2020 _________________ Joint Committee on Climate Action Pre-Legislative Scrutiny on the draft of the Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020 December 2020 [33-JCCA-01] An Comhchoiste um Ghníomhú ar son na hAeráide Tuarascáil maidir leis an nGrinnscrúdú Réamhreachtach ar an Dréacht-Bhille um Ghníomhú ar son na hAeráide agus um Fhorbairt Ísealcharbóin (Leasú), 2020 Nollaig 2020 _________________ Joint Committee on Climate Action Pre-Legislative Scrutiny on the draft of the Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020 December 2020 [33-JCCA-01] Contents Chairman’s Foreword ...................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Committee’s approach to pre-legislative scrutiny .............................................................................. 3 High level summary of draft Bill .......................................................................................................... 3 Stakeholder engagement .................................................................................................................... 4 1. Language ........................................................................................................................................ 6 2. The Climate Change Advisory Council (The CCAC) ....................................................... 7 Composition of the CCAC .................................................................................................................... 7 Resourcing of the CCAC ...................................................................................................................... 8 3. Target structure ........................................................................................................................... 9 Sectoral Decarbonisation Ranges ....................................................................................................... 9 Banking and borrowing provisions ................................................................................................... 10 Targets outside the Bill ..................................................................................................................... 10 Interim targets .................................................................................................................................. 11 4. Greenhouse Gases including Biogenic Methane ............................................................ 12 5. Nature-based solutions and biodiversity ......................................................................... 14 6. Carbon-dioxide removal / negative emissions technologies .................................... 16 7. Just Transition and Climate Justice ................................................................................... 17 Just Transition ................................................................................................................................... 17 Public Involvement ........................................................................................................................... 20 Climate Justice .................................................................................................................................. 21 8. Accountability including consequences for shortfalls .................................................. 21 Cross-sectoral co-operation and governance ................................................................................... 24 Conclusions and recommendations ......................................................................................... 25 General conclusions / miscellaneous recommendations ................................................. 25 1 Language ....................................................................................................................................... 25 2 CCAC ............................................................................................................................................... 28 3 Target structure .......................................................................................................................... 29 Sectoral decarbonisation ranges: ..................................................................................................... 29 Carbon budget formation and banking and borrowing provisions: ................................................. 29 Interim Targets: ................................................................................................................................. 30 Other: ................................................................................................................................................ 30 4 Greenhouse gases including Biogenic Methane .............................................................. 30 5 Nature Based Solutions and Biodiversity .......................................................................... 31 6 CDR technologies / negative emissions technologies .................................................. 33 7 Just Transition and Climate Justice ...................................................................................... 33 Just Transition ................................................................................................................................... 33 Public Involvement: .......................................................................................................................... 34 Climate Justice: ................................................................................................................................. 35 8 Accountability including consequences for shortfalls ................................................... 36 Cross-sectoral co-operation and governance ................................................................................... 37 Appendices ........................................................................................................................................ 39 Appendix1: Committee Membership ............................................................................................... 39 Appendix 2: Terms of Reference ....................................................................................................... 41 Appendix 3: Submissions received .................................................................................................... 44 Chairman’s Foreword On the 6th October 2020 the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications Mr. Eamon Ryan T.D., submitted a draft unstamped text of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Amendment Bill 2020 and an explanatory memorandum to the Joint Committee on Climate Action (hereafter, ‘the Joint Committee’) for the purpose of Pre-Legislative Scrutiny. The Draft Bill was published on 7th October 2020. The Joint Committee decided that it would undertake pre-legislative scrutiny in respect of this Draft Bill. The purpose of the Draft Bill is to strengthen the statutory framework for more effective governance of the State’s Climate objectives. Key elements include: • National Climate 2050 objective; • Climate action plans and strategies; • Carbon Budgets; • Change to the role and composition of the Climate Change Advisory Council; and • Strengthened Oireachtas oversight of Climate Policy. In carrying out its pre-legislative scrutiny of this Draft Bill the Joint Committee met in public session on 14, 15, 21, 27, 28 and 29 October and 4 November and heard from a number of stakeholders including Officials from the Department and expert witnesses. I would like to express my appreciation to all the witnesses for their contributions and to the members of the Committee for all their work on this process. I would also like to thank the L&RS for the comprehensive paper they produced for the Committee which greatly assisted us in the consideration of the Draft Bill. 1 I hope that this report will help to inform the legislative process and make a valuable contribution to the forthcoming legislation. ___________ Brian Leddin T.D. Chairman Joint Committee on Climate Action 16 December 2020 2 Introduction Committee’s approach to pre-legislative scrutiny Conscious of the wide-ranging impacts of climate policy and a short timeframe in which to conduct scrutiny of the draft Bill, the Committee wished to confine itself to scrutiny of the proposed legislative provisions insofar as possible. Wider policy decisions which are connected to the aims of the draft Bill may not be within the scope of the draft Bill in a strictly legislative sense. The objective of the Committee therefore, in seeking inputs from experts, is to focus on legislation and this report also maintains this legislative focus, keeping to current and potential textual provisions, rather than exploring climate policy more generally. Over the course of the Committee’s public hearings 8 key themes emerged. These are outlined below. High level summary of draft Bill This draft Bill aims to update the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 (the 2015 Act) and establishes a target of carbon neutrality for the State by
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