Irish people invited to have their say on national Climate Action Plan

People across the country have been invited to have their say on how everyone can all play their part in securing Ireland’s sustainable future

The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, today launched Climate Conversations 2023, which will feed into and shape the next iteration of the Climate Action Plan.

To empower everyone in society to help co-design the annual Climate Action Plan the Government of Ireland established the National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA), which is delivered through an annual programme of events centred around Climate Conversations.

In 2022 4,300 people across Ireland engaged in the Climate Conversations. Findings showed that people are concerned about climate change, are taking action and want to do more, people asked for ‘ambitious’ leadership on climate action in their communities and there was also a desire for clear communication from Government. These findings were published in the Climate Conversations 2022 Summary Report and have directly informed the Climate Action Plan 2023.

Commenting on the launch of Climate Conversations 2023, Minister Ryan said: “We set up the National Dialogue on Climate Action to allow people right across the country to share their views on what climate change means to them, what we can do about it, how we can make for a better world here at home as well as the wider planet. 

“There are a whole lot of different ways that you can make your contribution and have your voice heard. We encourage everyone to be part of the conversation. Some 9,000 people have done it in the past two years and we expect it to be bigger and better this year. 

“We look forward to hearing your view, hearing your voice, and working together to tackle climate change.”

The aim of this year’s Climate Conversation is to build on what was learnt last year, making sure that people across all of Ireland engage with this process, including those who may be particularly affected by Ireland’s transition to carbon neutrality, with the aim of making the Climate Action Plan accessible to all.

Minister Ryan added: “Everyone, including Government, communities, industry and individuals, will need to work together to make Ireland carbon-neutral for a sustainable future. There is a huge task still ahead of us to bridge the gap between where we are now and where we need to get to by 2050. But that’s why it’s so important for people to have their say on how we can all contribute to our ambitious goals, and how that will affect their lives in practical ways and importantly how we, as a government, can engage, enable, and empower people to adapt and realise the opportunities this transition presents”.

According to the Department of the Environment, becoming a climate-resilient society and economy will help Ireland and its people to cope with the impacts of a changing climate.

Hearing from people from across the country from different age groups, in different locations, and with different perspectives means that the steps that people will be able to take in creating positive climate action can be supported. All of this will feed into ongoing work on Climate Action Plan 2023, the Department says.

Citizens and communities can visit the Climate Conversations portal and share views on Ireland’s collective goals, what has been achieved, and what more could be done to support communities on climate action. There is also a Climate Jargon Buster, which is designed to help as people read through the content and questions.

For more information on Climate Conversations 2023 or to get involved, click this link: Climate Conversations 2023.