Comparative Assessment of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021

Responding to climate change requires unprecedented and concerted responses across all sectors of economy and society. Framework climate laws are an increasingly common governance response to the challenge of achieving the scale of transformation required. Such framework laws can provide an overarching framework to coordinate government responses to the climate crisis, while sending a clear signal to all sectors of the economy and society about a collective commitment to climate action. Framework climate laws have been enacted across a growing number of countries in Europe and beyond. This report undertakes a comparative assessment of Ireland’s Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. It assesses the extent to which the new Climate Act delivers eight core components that have been identified in international comparative research as key features of national framework climate laws, these include: Long-term targets; Intermediate targets; Arrangements for policy planning; Incorporation of expert advice; Public participation; Institutional arrangements and responsibilities; Progress monitoring and reporting, and; Enforcement and sanctions.