IEA Submission: Climate Conversation – Climate Action Plan 2021

The Irish Exporters Association (IEA) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications’ (DETE) open consultation for expert evidence – Climate Action Plan 2021. Exporters welcome the approval of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021, that enshrines carbon neutrality by 2050 into Irish law through the national climate objective – a key aim that underpins the European Green Deal. Sustainable Trade and Investment is a key policy priority for the IEA. Efforts to tackle climate change and support the transition to more environmentally sustainable practices, that many businesses have already committed to, need to be brought back into the fore and considered as part of Ireland’s overall economic recovery strategy.

We believe that we have a responsibility to communicate the aims of the Climate Action Bill to our members and to support exporters, importers, and supply chain actors by informing them of practices they will have to integrate into their operations in order to reach the 2050 national target of climate neutrality and indeed the target of reducing emissions by 51% by 2030. Achieving this aim requires buy-in from all sections of society, and the IEA is committed to supporting our members to reach this target.

Read out submission here