Cormac Devlin
Question:60. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs for a report on the implementation of his Department's Climate Action Roadmap; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28093/23]
View answerThursday, 15 June 2023
Questions (60)
Written answers
I thank the Deputy for asking this question about the very important work that the Department is undertaking to mitigate climate change.
The Management Board of the Department published the Climate Action Roadmap on 21st March 2023. The Deputy can view the document here: Climate-Action-Roadmap-DFA-2023.pdf
The headline targets in this Roadmap commit the Department to reducing Green House Gases by 51% before 2030 and increasing energy efficiency by 50% in the same time period. To support this effort, the Department has identified 22 actions which fall under i.a. Corporate Services Division; ICT; Strategy Governance and Change Unit; HR; and Finance and Procurement Unit.
The Director General of Corporate Services is the Department’s Climate and Sustainability Champion, reporting to the Deputy Secretary General/Chief Operating Officer. It is the responsibility of the Director General to monitor and report on the Climate Roadmap Action Plan. The latest progress report showed that work is underway to deliver on all of the actions, within the timeframes set out. The Department will continue to report annually to Government on implementation, in line with the Climate Action Plan 2022. The next iteration of the Roadmap will be delivered in Q3 of 2023.
Internationally, Ireland has taken a leading role in promoting climate action and sustainability. In October 2020, the Department of Foreign Affairs set up a dedicated Climate Unit to shape, support and coordinate Ireland’s increasing climate ambition abroad. The Climate Unit engages with staff across the Department, both at home and in missions, to promote and coordinate Ireland’s positions and actions on climate. It also coordinates the Department’s international reporting obligations on climate finance, and works to share climate learning and resources.