July 2024
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This conference assessed next steps for climate change adaptation and resilience in Ireland.
It was a timely opportunity to discuss key issues with implementation of a new National Adaptation Framework (NAF), published by DECC in June, which requires government departments, infrastructure providers and local authorities to prepare a new cycle of Adaptation Plans for key sectors including agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, transport, flood risk management and tourism.
Sessions in the agenda brought out latest thinking on concerns raised, looking at challenges in Ireland’s approach to adaptation, including:
- sectoral priorities: identifying clear plans across sectors, and allocating support and resources effectively to implement adaptation measures
- financial support: long-term policy signals to enable substantial investment in sustainability and resilience, and key financial support mechanisms for industries already at risk climate change effects
- local-level strategies: next steps for driving community involvement and moving towards a whole-of-society approach with clear, achievable goals
- monitoring: integrating robust mechanisms for monitoring progress and evaluating the effectiveness of adaptation
There was discussion on what is needed to ensure that developing Ireland’s climate resilience and a just transition are both embedded in policy and planning processes, as emphasised in Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment (ICCA) commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency, published in January.
Delegates also considered opportunities presented by the NAF in the delivery of new high quality jobs and the potential growth of new green sectors, as well as what is needed to enable and encourage cross-sectoral collaboration, including best practice for sharing knowledge and information, and priorities for strengthening institutional capacity.
Further sessions examined issues for Ireland within the wider European approach to climate adaptation and resilience, with the European Environment Agency’s recent Climate Risk Assessment finding that Europe is not prepared for rapidly growing climate risks.
We are pleased to have been able to include keynote sessions with: Blaz Kurnik, Head, CET2, Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Group, European Environment Agency; Dr Stephen Flood, Resilience Team Lead, Irish Climate Change Advisory Council Secretariat; and Professor Conor Murphy, Professor, Department of Geography, Maynooth University; and Author, ICCA Volume Three: Being Prepared for Ireland’s Future Climate.
Overall, areas for discussion included:
- Ireland’s current ability to adapt: considering findings from ICCA - adaptation planning - risk management - assessing adaptation fitness - communicating benefits of transitioning to a low carbon economy
- immediate priorities: developing Ireland’s climate resilience - implementing local adaptation plans - flood risk management and responses to extreme weather events - key financial support mechanisms
- key sectors: developing adaptation plans across agriculture, health, urban dwellings, tourism and sport, and financial services - assessing opportunities for high quality jobs and growth of new green sectors
- just resilience and adaptation: ensuring equity and fairness in adaptation approaches - protecting flood-risk areas and coastal communities - consulting with vulnerable groups - guidance for policymakers
- data and evaluation: fostering and funding a whole-of-society approach to sharing knowledge and information - addressing gaps in data - ensuring effective evaluation of approaches to learn from best practice
- Biodiversity Net Gain: assessing long-term goals for nature restoration - utilising natural resources for carbon capture and flood defence - transitioning to restoration and heritage practices
- policy: priorities for a new NAF - clarity on long-term policy signals - meeting emissions ceilings - staying within carbon budgets - scaling up and resourcing systematic approaches to climate adaptation - assessing the EU’s approach and findings of Europe’s climate risk assessment - lessons learned from Ireland’s first adaptation plans
The conference was an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who attended from DAFM; DoT; DPENDR; Met Éireann; DHLGH; NPWS; FCDO; Isle of Man Government; DAERA, NI; DfC, NI; DfE, NI; DESNZ; DfT; MMO; DLUHC; Ofwat; and Homes England.
