Climate Law in Ireland: EU and National Dimensions

Abstract

The legal provisions governing Climate Law in Ireland stem from a range of sources: our membership of the UN climate regime, the requirements of European Union (EU) regulations and, more recently, national legislation surrounding climate governance. Added to this, a small but growing body of case law where climate has formed part of the legal issues litigated. This chapter seeks to give a comprehensive overview of how each level interacts with each other and, through this, demonstrate the overall climate regime applicable in Ireland. The chapter begins with an overview of the UN climate regime, with a more detailed look at the requirements of the Paris Agreement. It then considers the binding EU targets applicable in Ireland through the 2020 and 2030 climate and energy packages, with a focus on three key pieces of legislation—the Emissions Trading System (ETS), the Climate Action Regulation (CAR) and the renewable energy directive. The implications of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 will also be considered.