The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has sought stronger measures to support workers affected by the transition to a carbon-free economy following the recent publication of the Government’s published Climate Action bill. The legislation sets out legally-binding commitments to achieve a climate neutral economy by 2050.

ICTU said the definition of a ‘just transition’ in the current bill is weak compared to the standard international definition. And both ICTU and Friends of the Earth have called for improvements around the wording.

Unions have also called for a representative body to drive the transition process, similar to the Scottish Just Transition Commission.

The new legislation aims to achieve net zero emissions, or climate neutrality. It also targets a 51% emissions’ reduction by 2030. It will require Government department and agencies to bring forward carbon budgets and make all plans consistent with the Paris Agreement and other international agreements.

It’s a significant strengthening of the framework for climate action by the State, which aims to enable Ireland to meet its EU and international climate obligations.

Key highlights include putting the commitment to climate-neutrality on a statutory basis, a legal requirement for Government to adopt a series of five-year carbon budgets, the introduction of emission ceilings for individual sectors, and strengthening the role of the Climate Change Advisory Council.

Friends of the Earth director Oisín Coghlan called the bill a big step in the right direction, and described it as “a framework to drive action, rather than list of actions itself.”

He said it established a duty on the Government to provide plans to meet the targets, a role for an expert advisory council to monitor progress and advise the Government, and a robust parliamentary accountability, a way for government to be held to account for delivery.

Local authorities will have to prepare climate action plans with both mitigation and adaptation measures, while planning rules will be strengthened to include climate actions.

“The bill is not perfect, but it is much better than the current law, and will drive action in Ireland the right way, which hasn’t been done so far,” he said.

The Government has also launched a public consultation on the new climate action plan. It will run for eight weeks until 18th May.

Responding to the new emission targets, ICTU general secretary Patricia King said the government must also seek to develop a new, overarching policy for the energy sector that sets out specific roles for publicly owned utilities, and which would maximise the opportunities in renewable energy generation for workers and communities across the country.

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