New Climate Change Advisory Council appointment

RGFI congratulates Marie Donnelly, on her appointment to the new Climate Change Advisory Council.  Ms Donnelly was formerly director for renewable energy at the European Commission and she will be the Council’s new chair.

The new Council has a significantly enhanced role and will formally be established when the new Climate Bill (Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021) is enacted. It will be central to advising on the new system of ‘carbon budgets’ to be introduced under the Climate Bill. The Bill provides the framework to restrict the carbon emissions allowable from each sector of society and the economy, as the country moves to carbon neutrality by 2050, and the Government’s stated commitment to annual 7% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030.  Mr Ryan is to bring his final draft of the amended Climate Bill to Cabinet in the next few weeks.

Biomethane and green hydrogen featured strongly, for the first time, in the last annual review of the previous Climate Change Advisory Council. It stated that not all energy services can be supplied by electricity and therefore consideration and planning are urgently required for development of zero-carbon fuels including biomethane and green hydrogen.

https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/f132f-minister-ryan-appoints-marie-donnelly-as-chair-and-professor-peter-thorne-as-member-of-climate-change-advisory-council/