Cross-cutting themes: chapter 8 in The National Development Plan in 2023: priorities and capacity

Climate considerations are crucial in policy-setting due to the urgency of climate change. By incorporating climate factors into policy decisions, governments can effectively address climate change while advancing multiple societal goals. Climate will need to play an overarching role in policy-making across the board, particularly given Ireland’s ambitious emission reduction target. Ireland has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 51 per cent by 2030 compared to 2018 (Government of Ireland, 2021a; 2023) and an alignment between climate policies to reach this target and government investment plans is essential. This chapter discusses Ireland’s climate commitments, national policies and EU policies in regard to the NDP and the challenges that we face in reaching this target.