Download NAF Public Consultation

Invitation to submit views on the
development of Ireland’s first statutory
National Climate Change Adaptation
Framework (NAF)
Department of the Environment, Community and Local
Government - March 2016
Table of Contents
1. Towards a statutory National Climate Change Adaptation Framework .............................. 2
1.1 The Climate Change Challenge ................................................................................... 2
1.2 What is Climate Change Adaptation? .......................................................................... 3
1.3 Planned Adaptation ..................................................................................................... 3
1.4 Climate Change Impacts ............................................................................................. 4
1.5 What is the National Adaptation Framework (NAF)? .................................................... 5
1.6 Policy and Legislative Basis for Developing a National Adaptation Framework (NAF) . 7
1.7 Economic considerations ............................................................................................. 8
2. Purpose of this document.................................................................................................. 9
2.1 Responding to this Document .................................................................................... 10
Annex 1: Proposed outline of National Adaptation Framework (NAF) ................................. 12
Annex 2: Policy Background ............................................................................................... 17
International Context ....................................................................................................... 17
EU context ....................................................................................................................... 18
Other developments ........................................................................................................ 21
Annex 3: Other Useful Resources on Adaptation ................................................................ 25
National Resources ......................................................................................................... 25
International Resources ................................................................................................... 27
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1. Towards a statutory National Climate Change Adaptation
Framework
1.1 The Climate Change Challenge
2015 was a pivotal year in shaping the global response to the challenge of man-made
climate change. The Paris Agreement commits 196 countries to the mitigation goal of limiting
global temperature rise to well below 2℃. According to the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5)1
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to achieve this 2°C objective,
global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 40-70% by 2050 compared to 2010
and be zero or below in 2100.
The Paris Agreement also includes a long-term adaptation goal alongside the goal for
mitigation which refers to enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and
reducing vulnerability to climate change. Ensuring an adequate adaptation response in the
context of the temperature goal explicitly links adaptation to the mitigation goal of limiting
global temperature rise to well below 2℃. This connection makes it clear that, if mitigation
activities succeed in limiting the rise in global temperature, less adaptation will be needed to
deal with the consequences of climate change.
The policy responses to climate change are therefore two-fold:
1. mitigation of emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) that are driving climate
change, and
2. adaptation to the positive and negative impacts of climate change
To address the mitigation challenge Ireland will pursue and aim to meet its national, EU and
international greenhouse gas mitigation commitments through the adoption of a series of 5
yearly statutory National Mitigation Plans (NMP). The NMPs will track the implementation of
measures already underway and identify additional measures in the longer term to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and progress the overall national low carbon transition
agenda to 2050. Work on developing Ireland’s first National Mitigation Plan, led by the
Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in conjunction other key
Government departments, is well underway and currently being developed in tandem with
Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment Processes. Separate
1
http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/index.shtml
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consultations on the National Mitigation Plan were undertaken last year.
A similar long term process, operating in parallel and informed by the mitigation process, will
cover the process of adapting Ireland to the impacts of climate change. The first step in this
process will be the development of Ireland’s first statutory National Climate Change
Adaptation Framework/National Adaptation Framework (NAF).
1.2 What is Climate Change Adaptation?
Ireland is vulnerable to the adverse effects of global climate change, in terms of increase in
average temperature, changes in precipitation patterns, weather extremes (storms and
flooding, sea surges, flash floods) and sea-level rise.
Climate change will have diverse and wide ranging impacts on the environment, society,
economic sectors and natural resources. These include managed and natural ecosystems,
water resources, agriculture and food security, human health, coastal infrastructures and
marine environment.
These impacts are expected to increase over the coming decades. Effective actions are
needed to reduce vulnerabilities to the negative impacts of climate change, take advantages
of opportunities and to increase social, economic and environmental resilience.
Adaptation2 can be defined as 'adjustment to natural or human systems in response to
actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits
beneficial opportunities'. In other words, adaptation seeks to protect people, buildings,
infrastructure, businesses and ecosystems against the negative impacts of climate change
but also to build resilience to climate change, allowing society to take advantage of any
opportunities that it might bring. These actions are taken in parallel with, and in addition
ongoing and planned changes in the relevant sectors.
1.3 Planned Adaptation
Planned adaptation aims to take measures to counter current or expected climatic impacts
within the context of ongoing and expected societal change. It is a deliberate decision taken
due to an awareness that conditions have changed (reactive) or are about to change
(anticipatory) and that action is required to return to, maintain, or achieve a desired state.
2
Section 1,Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 “adaptation” means any adjustment to—
(a)Any system operated by human beings, including an economic, agricultural or technological system, or (b) any naturally occurring
system, including an ecosystem, that is intended to counteract the effects (whether actual or anticipated) of climatic stimuli, prevent or
moderate environmental damage resulting from climate change or confer environmental benefits
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As the impacts of climate change vary by region, adaptation requires locally specific, placebased responses, which address not only climate impacts but also integrate coherently with
local social, economic and ecological systems. As a result, high-level adaptation policy is
typically developed by central government but local differences in social and cultural norms,
physical environment, land use and economics make adaptation a crucially important
consideration for regional and local policymakers, elected representatives, businesses and
the general public.
1.4 Climate Change Impacts
The impacts of climate change are being observed in Ireland, Europe and the World on
natural and human systems on all continents and across the oceans.
The projections of future climate changes are stark: oceans will continue to warm, sea-level
rise will continue during this century. Studies have shown that the intensity and frequency of
extreme events are changing and will change further due to climate change (IPCC 20143).
The character and severity of impacts from climate extremes depends not only on the
extremes themselves but also on exposure and vulnerability to these extremes.
These changes are projected to further impact on food production systems, water resources,
critical services (energy, communications, health, and education), coastal infrastructure,
urban centres, resulting in increased displacement of people, societal stress, loss of land
and other assets.
For Ireland, climate change impacts are projected to increase in the coming decades and
could include the following:

sea level rise;

more intense storms and rainfall events;

increased likelihood and magnitude of river and coastal flooding;

water shortages in summer ;

increased risk of new pests and diseases

adverse impacts on water quality; and

changes in distribution and phenology (the timing of lifecycle events) of plant and
animal species on land and in the oceans.
3
http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg2/
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Key sectoral impacts

Agriculture: main impacts will result from increased levels of atmospheric CO2,
changes in air and soil temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns and extreme
events.

Marine environment: projected changes in sea level, coastal flooding and erosion,
and physicochemical changes in the marine environment will have wide-ranging
implications for the marine and fisheries sector in Ireland.

Biodiversity: Increasing temperatures will impact upon the geographical range and
phenology of species native to Ireland. Projected shifts in climate, temperature and
precipitation, will result in the increased occurrence of invasive species and
competitive pressures for Ireland's native species.

Coastal zones: Coastal erosion and flooding currently pose a serious risk to Ireland's
coastal areas and this is particularly the case as Ireland's major cities are located on
the coast.

Critical infrastructure (water, energy, communications, transport, emergency
services) are at significant risk from sea level rise, increasing temperatures, changing
rainfall patterns and the increased occurrence of extreme weather events.

Built environment; temperature change, precipitation, sea level rise and extreme
events will impact on location, performance and durability of buildings

Water management: changing temperature, precipitation and extreme events will
pose significant risks to water management and exacerbate existing pressures in
terms of water supply, quality and flooding.

Human health and wellbeing: increasing temperatures will likely result in the
increased incidence of heat-related mortality. Increases in extreme events will have
significant impacts on psychological health and wellbeing.
Source: Climate Ireland and SOK14 (EPA, 2009)
1.5 What is the National Adaptation Framework (NAF)?
The NAF will set out Ireland’s first statutory strategy for the application of adaptation
measures in different Government sectors, including the local authority sector to reduce the
vulnerability of the State to the negative effects of climate change but also to avail of any
positive effects that may occur. A primary objective of the NAF will be to bring a clear and
strong focus to both the challenges and the opportunities of transitioning to a climate resilient
4
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/climate/ccrpreport1.html
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future, and the importance of a positively focussed and cost-effective national transition
agenda.
The NAF will build on the substantial work already carried out under the existing National
Climate Change Adaptation Framework (NCCAF, 2012) and ensure that climate adaptation
in Ireland is brought forward in line with EU and international best practise. In the interests of
an inclusive, informed and transparent process, the views of the public are now being sought
in relation to the development of the NAF. A draft of the NAF itself will be the subject of a
later and separate consultation process before submission to Government for approval.
The existing Framework (2012) was the first step for Ireland in developing a comprehensive
national policy position to address the anticipated impacts of climate change through a
structured programme of action on adaptation. The current Framework requires the
development and implementation of sectoral and local adaptation plans which will form part
of the national response to the impacts of climate change.
Sectors have been requested to prepare their sectoral plans according to a risk based
adaptation management approach. The five key steps in this approach are:
1. Building the adaptation team – defining the scope of work.
2. Assessing the adaptation baseline.
3. Assessing future climate risk.
4. Identifying, assessing and prioritising adaptation options.
5. Monitoring and Review.
The on-going implementation of the existing framework is currently being coordinated by the
Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG) through a
National Adaptation Steering Committee. The steering committee is chaired by DECLG and
includes membership from the relevant sectors identified in the NCCAF as well as EPA,
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with the local government sector represented
through the County and City Management Association and the regional assemblies.
The current Framework has succeeded in building the evidence base and in filling many of
the knowledge and research gaps required for effective national adaptation. It has also
increased capacity within the sectors to begin to tackle climate change adaptation. The
current work being carried out with respect to developing sectoral plans represents a crucial
input to the development of the new NAF and will further inform the subsequent
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development of sectoral adaptation plans in accordance with the Climate Action and Low
Carbon Development Act 2015.
1.6 Policy and Legislative Basis for Developing a National Adaptation
Framework (NAF)
In line with the National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development5
and the recent international climate agreement in Paris, the development of this new NAF is
being guided by a long-term vision of a climate resilient Ireland. This will be based on:
the promotion of sustainable development;

relevant scientific or technical advice;

relevant research on effective measures for mitigation and adaptation;

existing and future obligations of the State under the law of the EU and the
evolution of climate policy within the EU and at the UNFCCC;

regard to the objective of the Paris Agreement to hold the increase in the global
average temperature to “well below 2℃ above pre-industrial levels and to pursue
efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5℃; and

current EU policy on climate adaptation and the likely evolution of that policy in the
future.
The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 provides for the preparation
by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and approval by
Government of plans covering climate change mitigation and adaptation with the purpose of
pursuing the transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable
economy by 2050.
Section 5 of the 2015 Act provides that the Minister shall make and submit to Government
for approval a “national adaptation framework” not later than 24 months after enactment (i.e.
not later than 10 December 2017). The Minister must review the framework not less than
once every five years thereafter.
The NAF shall specify the national strategy for the application of adaptation measures in
different sectors and by a local authority in its administrative area for the purpose of reducing
the vulnerability of the State to the negative effects of climate change and availing of positive
5
http://www.environ.ie/environment/climate-change/policy/climate-action-and-low-carbon-developmentnational-policy-position
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effects of climate change that may occur.
The Act further provides that the Minister must consult with the Climate Change Advisory
Council when developing the NAF and that before submitting a framework to the
Government for approval must also consult with the public and any interested parties inviting
submissions on a draft NAF.
The Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) was established under the Climate Action
and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. A key function of the CCAC is to provide
independent advice, and to make recommendations, to Government and Ministers in relation
to the low carbon transition process and the adaptation agenda. The Act sets out a clear role
for the CCAC in the development of the NCCAF in terms of advising and making
recommendations to relevant Ministers and Government.
1.7 Economic considerations
Economic considerations will play a crucial roIe in Ireland’s transition to a low carbon,
climate resilient economy.
There are already substantial costs to the exchequer, the insurance industry, private
businesses, communities and individuals from the impacts of weather extremes such as
flooding and storms. Work is on-going in respect of trying to understand better the projected
costs of climate change impacts and the costs of adapting to future climate change.
For example, it is estimated that the severe winter storms of 2013-14 caused €157 million in
insurance claims (source: Insurance Ireland) and a further €114 million in damage to public
infrastructure, including clean-up costs and remediation work (NDFEM, 2014).
Another important sector at risk from climate change in Ireland is agriculture, where costs
have been estimated at between €1-2 billion per year by 2050 (Flood and Sweeney, 2014).
Costs for the Irish economy in other sectors and from other types of impacts remain to be
quantified.
At the European level, the minimum cost of not adapting to climate change for the EU as a
whole has been estimated at €100 billion a year by 2020, rising to €250 billion in 2050 (EEA
2012). These costs will of course depend on a number of factors – not least the success of
global efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions over the coming years and decades. The
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costs of future climate impacts will also depend crucially on the effectiveness of adaptation
efforts taken in the intervening period.
Climate change may also create a number of economic opportunities. Some studies suggest
(Sweeney et al, 2013) that there may be opportunities for a country such as Ireland from
climate change. These could include opportunities for:
1.
agriculture in short to medium term;
2.
tourism (extension of season); and
3.
industry (I.T and big data-storage)
Maintaining competitiveness will be a key consideration in developing the NAF, with policies
set out in the NAF ideally being a support to sustainable economic growth. This should instil
confidence in industry to invest in new technologies to bring about the necessary scale of
change required, with the general public also playing their part in this change. Government is
aware of the need for early, cost-effective, cost-efficient action and the need to take
advantage of environmentally sustainable economic opportunities both in Ireland and further
afield.
Ireland’s national policy position on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development requires
that objectives are achieved at the least cost to the national economy and that measurers
adopted to achieve these objectives are cost-effective, and do not impose an unreasonable
burden on the exchequer. The NAF will therefore be developed in a flexible manner to allow
for future adaptive measures that are cost-effective, no-regret where possible and that can
be mainstreamed into existing policies and governance structures.
2. Purpose of this document
The purpose of this document is to invite views from all interested stakeholders and the
general public on the development of a new National Adaptation Framework (NAF). This
early consultation process in the development cycle of the NAF will provide valuable input in
developing the NAF. The document also outlines the national, EU and international context
for the development of the NAF as well to outline the process through which the NAF will be
developed including a proposed structure for the framework itself.
The draft NAF will be published for public consultation in due course and in accordance with
the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. The NAF must be completed
and submitted to Government not later than 10 December 2017.
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It is important to note that this document is not a draft NAF and does not discuss sectoral or
local adaptation measures. The process of developing statutory sectoral adaptation plans is
a matter for the relevant sectors concerned and will begin after approval of the NAF by
Government. More information from a sectoral perspective can be found in the relevant links
in Annex 3 – Other Useful Resources on Adaptation.
Local authorities also have an important role to play in Ireland’s response to climate
adaptation. Building resilience to the impacts of the climate change at local level for
communities and businesses can be achieved in an effective manner if it is integrated into
existing planning frameworks and policies under the remit of the local government sector. In
order to achieve this, a significant challenge facing local authorities is developing the
capacity within their organisations to plan for and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Local level adaptation measures will be identified in Local Adaptation Strategies prepared by
the relevant local authority and implemented through inclusion in relevant plans and policies
under the local authority’s remit. The NAF will give a strategic overview of adaptation policy
at local level, including governance structures, adaptation tools, improving the knowledge
base at local level and capacity building initiatives.
2.1 Responding to this Document
Written submissions from members of the public and any interested party on the contents of
this document and on the NAF development process may be forwarded by email to:
[email protected] by Friday 20th May 2016
Submissions may also be sent by post to:
National Adaptation Framework Public Consultation
Climate Policy Section
Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government
Custom House
Dublin 1
Email submissions will receive an automatic response confirming receipt. Please note that
all submissions received will be published on the Department’s website. Please also note
that all submissions and comments submitted to the Department for this purpose are subject
to release under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014 and the European Communities
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(Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007- 2014. Confidential
information should therefore be clearly indicated and, if possible, placed in a separate annex
to the main submission. Reasons to have the information treated as confidential must be
clearly stated - i.e. simply marking information as confidential will not, of itself be sufficient
and may not remove that material from the scope of FOI or AIE.
Annex 1 provides an outline of a proposed approach as to how the NAF might be
developed
Annex 2 provides additional material on the policy context for climate adaptation
at national, EU and international level as well as material on national research
projects relevant to the preparation of the NAF.
Annex 3 provides a list of useful resources on Climate Change Adaptation
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Annex 1: Proposed outline of National Adaptation Framework (NAF)
This section contains an outline of the proposed approach that will be taken in relation to the
development of the NAF under the following headings:
-
purpose;
-
strategic vision;
-
aims and objectives;
-
approach;
-
co-ordination;
-
consultation; and
-
research.
Purpose:
The purpose of the NAF is to develop a national approach to the assessment, prioritisation
and management of climate change risk for Ireland with a view to guiding the implementation
of adaptation at sectoral and local level.
The NAF must be long-term in its approach with a built in review process. This will allow for
evaluation of progress approximately every 5 years-in keeping with the continued
development of the climate change evidence base and actions on mitigation and in line with
the requirements of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015.
Strategic vision:
The strategic vision for the NAF should be to develop a ‘climate resilient Ireland’. It should be
a high level vision of the capacity of Ireland’s social, economic and environmental systems to
cope with climate change by responding or reorganising in ways that maintain their function,
identity and structure, while also developing capacity to adapt, learn and transform. This will
be based on an understanding of resilience to current climate variability and extremes, and
pathways to resilience for sustainable development. The delivery of a climate resilient
Ireland must take place within an adaptive risk management approach that can be
implemented and sustained.
The assumptions in the NAF must be based on the international/EU target of a 1.5-2℃ rise
in temperature at a minimum and should also be able to consider the implication of a 3-4℃
temperature rise. We need an understanding of how resilient Ireland is to observed climate
change and how it is positioned to respond to future climate change.
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Objectives:
The key objectives for the NAF are set out in the Climate Action and Low Carbon
Development Act 2015. These are to:

enhance adaptive capacity;

strengthen the resilience of social, economic and environmental systems to current
and future climate change;

reduce vulnerability to climate change; and

take advantage of any opportunities that might arise from climate change.
The implementation of these high level objectives will take place at sectoral and local levels
where they will be refined to develop a series of adaptation actions.
Approach:
An adaptive risk management approach is recommended, which is consistent with
international best practice. This approach is also being promoted for sectoral and local level
adaptation planning and decision making. Taking a common approach to all adaptation
decision making can aid understanding, learning, comparability, monitoring, evaluation and
reporting.
The five key steps to the adaptive management approach are:
1. Building the adaptation team – defining the scope of work;
2. Assessing the adaptation baseline;
3. Assessing future climate risk;
4. Identifying, assessing and prioritising adaptation options;
5. Monitoring and Review
The document should build on the scientific work to date and the previous National Climate
Change Adaptation Framework (2012). This should begin with a stocktaking of work to date
and identification of existing knowledge and data gaps.
The NAF should give sufficient consideration to the opportunities that may arise from climate
change in some sectors to ensure that these can be built on.
Policies, plans and programmes:
The development of the NAF must take account of a range of policies, plans and
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programmes. The Framework will also have to consider any existing and future international
obligations on Ireland in relation to adaptation.

It will have to account for any obligations under the UNFCCC and the more recent
Paris Agreement.

It should have regard for the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy and the indicators
contained in the EU Adaptation Scoreboard.

It will have to take account of nationally relevant policy and legislation such as the
Sustainable Development Goals, WFD, Habitats Directive, SEA, Spatial Planning,
etc.

The overall approach should be able to account for findings from existing sectoral
adaptation plans e.g. OPW, CFRAMS6, etc.
Mitigation:
The Paris Agreement includes a long-term adaptation goal alongside the goal for mitigation.
This connection makes it clear that, if mitigation activities succeed in limiting the rise in
global temperature, less adaptation will be needed to deal with the consequences of climate
change. Accordingly, the development of the NAF must be aware of on-going mitigation
actions to limit temperature increases, recognising that this would significantly reduce the
risks and impacts of climate change.
Implementation of adaptation actions:
The key objectives of the plan must be implemented through activities at sectoral, regional
and local level aimed at:

enhancing adaptive capacity including this means at the sectoral and local level and
how can it be achieved

strengthening the resilience of social, economic and environmental systems to
current and future climate change including identifying how resilient these systems
are to current and future climate variability, and what steps must be taken to achieve
resilience

reducing vulnerability to climate change: How vulnerable are systems to current and
future climate change

6
taking advantage of any opportunities that might arise from climate change
catchment flood risk and management
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Finance and economic considerations:

The Framework should consider the economic framework that will exist in respect of
costs, benefits and cross-sectoral interactions

The Framework should also attempt to identify
potential funding sources for
adaptation options
Mainstreaming:
The integration of climate change adaptation policies into other national, sectoral and local
level policies, plans and programmes is recognised as a key policy approach to
implementing adaptation. The NAF must begin the process of identifying opportunities to
integrate climate change adaptation across all relevant policy areas.
Capacity Building:
Implementation of the NAF at sectoral and local levels should be supported by appropriate
capacity building and training. This will include the sustained development and support of the
web based information platform “Climate Ireland’. This should also include the development
of networks of experts, practitioners, and decision makers.
Cross cutting issues:
The Framework will need to give direction on cross cutting issues, for example, flooding,
emergency responses, invasive species, phenological changes, etc.
Monitoring and evaluation:
In order to monitor the implementation and progress of the NAF, an agreed framework and
set of appropriate indicators must be included. The purpose of these indicators is to track the
progress of the plan over time. The indicators will provide a means of monitoring and
evaluating adaptation objectives and associated actions. They will also
assist with
international and national reporting requirements and the statutory review process required
by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. Such a set of indicators
should be linked to sectoral and local level decision making. The direction for these
indicators should be included in the NAF. A plan for monitoring and evaluation must also be
included in the NAF that meets international reporting obligations and allows for review and
revision over time.
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International dimension of climate change:
The NAF should be able to refer to the possible impacts on Ireland from climate change
impacts experienced abroad. Such external impacts may have consequences for food
security, conflict, humanitarian aid, international supply chains or migration that could affect
Ireland.
Co-ordination:

The Framework should consider how best to ensure that relevant sectors coordinate
on their respective plans given the fragmented responsibilities that occur across
sectors; e.g. emergency planning, water, marine, biodiversity.

This might require strengthening of existing governance bodies (e.g national
adaptation steering group) or setting up new bodies.
Consultation:
The development of the NAF should be part of an extensive and wide reaching consultation
process that includes the public, research community, practitioners etc., early in the
development process. This should also include transboundary discussions.
Research and filling knowledge gaps:
The NAF should be able to identify knowledge gaps and recommend how they are filled.
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Annex 2: Policy Background
International Context
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Ireland is a Party to both the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, which together provide the international legal framework
for addressing climate change at a global level. The ultimate objective of the Convention, as
set out in Article 2, is the stabilisation of global greenhouse gas concentrations in the
atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the
climate system.
Paris Agreement
2015 was an important year for climate adaptation at the international level. The Paris
Agreement includes a long-term adaptation goal alongside the goal for mitigation. The
Agreement’s goal of “enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing
vulnerability to climate change, with a view to contributing to sustainable development and
ensuring an adequate adaptation response in the context of the temperature goal” explicitly
links adaptation to the mitigation goal of limiting global temperature rise to well below 2℃.
This connection makes it clear that, if mitigation activities succeed in limiting the rise in
global temperature, less adaptation will be needed to deal with the consequences of climate
change.
The agreement also puts adaptation on an equal level with climate mitigation within the
UNFCCC process. Through “cycles of action” on adaptation that are parallel to the cycles for
mitigation, the Agreement will also stimulate and accelerate increasingly effective adaptation
action by parties to the convention over time. Every five years, countries will be required to
review and increase the ambition of their climate plans, which will include commitments on
adaptation. The Paris Agreement also requests parties to engage in adaptation planning
processes
(i.e.
developing
National
adaptation
frameworks/strategies)
and
the
implementation of adaptation actions.
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International Development
Ireland’s policy for International Development, “One World, One Future” and Ireland’s
Foreign Policy, “Global Island” prioritises action against climate change for the poorest
people in developing countries, in particular the least developed countries.
Irish Aid’s work recognises the importance of community based adaptation to climate change
programming. Irish Aid has a local level and people-centred focus for interventions. It is this
focus that legitimises development policy based on evidence acquired through learning
linked to local experience and case studies. Irish Aid has developed the Climate Change
and Development Learning Platform (www.climatelearningplatform.org) in collaboration
with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), to support Irish Aid
Key Partner Countries and organisations to integrate climate change and climate risk
management into development programmes and planning.
In 2014, Ireland contributed €34 million in support of climate finance for developing countries
mainly for adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa. Climate Finance also includes support provided
to the International Institute for Environment and Development, the World Resources
Institute, the Least Developed Countries Fund, the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate
Justice and the Least Developed Countries Fund – Expert Group (LEG).
Irish Aid contributes to the Least Developed Countries – Expert Group (LEG) and the Least
Developed Countries Fund, for the design of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) in the least
developed Countries.
Ireland has been an active partner through its 66 international missions in support EU
Climate Diplomacy with particular focus on Missions in developing countries and prioritising
adaptation. The Foreign Affairs Council endorsed the Climate Diplomacy Action Plan at its
meeting in January 2015 in preparation for the Paris climate conference in December 2015.
The European External Action Service, the European Commission and Members States all
work together to implement a strategic, coherent and cohesive climate diplomacy plan
through 2015.
EU context
EU Climate Adaptation Strategy
The EU strategy on adaptation to climate change (2013) aims to making Europe more
climate-resilient by taking a coherent approach aimed at complementing the activities of MS.
It supports action by promoting:
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
Action by Member States: The European Commission have encouraged all EU
member states to adopt comprehensive adaptation strategies (20 including
Ireland now have strategies in place). They have also promoted adaptation in
urban areas through the Covenant of Mayors(Mayor’s Adapt)

Better informed decision making: The European Commission have been
looked at addressing knowledge gaps on adaptation and have developed a
European climate adaptation platform Climate Adapt.

Climate-proofing common EU action: The European Commission have
mainstreamed adaptation into a number of their key policies including CAP, CFP
and cohesion policy.
Progress on adaptation across the MS is being monitored and evaluated by instruments
such as the UNFCCC National Communications, Mechanism for Monitoring and Reporting
(MMR) and the EU Adaptation Preparedness Scoreboard.
Key factors influencing adaptation at EU level
A study of national adaptation policy processes by the European Environment Agency
(2014) identified a number of issues that are key to effective implementation of climate
adaptation policies:
Public and policy awareness of the need for adaptation
There is a growing awareness of the importance of adaptation among EU policymakers and
the general public. Climate adaptation has reached the national political agenda of many
member states. Adaptation action in EU member states has been prompted by various
'triggers', including extreme weather events, EU climate and environment policies, estimates
for damage costs, and the UNFCCC processes.
Adaptation planning process and lessons learnt at member state level
Twenty member states have adopted adaptation strategies that outline their national
adaptation planning process and priorities. They are often operationalized by using
adaptation action plans, which define specific priorities and schedule them for
implementation.
Coordination of adaptation efforts
Adaptation to climate change is a cross-cutting topic that concerns all sectors of society and
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requires action at multiple levels from national governments to local actors. That is, both
horizontal and vertical co-ordination. In the EU, setting up governance bodies are common
ways to coordinate adaptation action across sectors and levels of governance. MS find that
knowledge exchange, coordination of stakeholders and assignment of responsibilities can
support coordination of adaptation action but also find that these activities can also present
challenges.
Stakeholder involvement
Member states have involved multiple stakeholders in planning their adaptation policy
processes, most commonly by consulting with scientists and researchers. Non-government
institutions and the general public were also often involved in the consultation process. MS
emphasize the importance of transparent, inclusive and well-informed stakeholder
involvement processes.
Implementation of adaptation
Priority sectors for adaptation implementation in the EU are currently water, agriculture,
forestry, human health, spatial planning, urban planning, coastal areas, energy, built
environment, tourism, biodiversity, DRR, transport, insurance, industry, civil protection,
mountain areas, marine and fisheries.
Providing information (e.g. on adaptation tools, education, guidelines) is the most frequently
reported policy instrument at member state level, followed by mainstreaming or integration
into priority policies, via programmes, plans, legislation and financial support (e.g. subsidies,
taxes).
Member states indicate a wide range of financing instruments, from project-based public
support to explicit budgetary allocations covering adaptation actions and insurance
mechanisms.
Transnational/regional cooperation
Transnational cooperation in adaptation to climate change has increased with the
recognition of the importance of adaptation as a cross-cutting policy area. Water
management has broad experience of transnational cooperation in the EU and has been the
first to take on board adaptation to climate change, e.g. transboundary river basins or
catchment management. Other relevant transboundary co-operation has occurred for
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coastal area management biodiversity conservation, and risk management protocols for
natural hazards.
Monitoring, reporting and evaluation
Countries are using a variety of approaches for their Monitoring & Evaluation(M&E)
schemes. Some MS are implementing, or developing indicators on climate impacts, risks
and adaptation. EU MS are increasingly recognizing that adaptation is an iterative process
whereby learning from planning, implementation, M&E schemes and new information from
research are used to improve future adaptation interventions.
Summary of key lessons for Ireland
The key lessons for Ireland from developments in adaptation policy at EU level include:

Effective horizontal and vertical coordination across sectors and down to local level
decision making is necessary to ensure the availability of consistent and reliable
information as well as by providing clarity with respect to roles and responsibilities.
Coordination at the national level is often required.

Stakeholder involvement is a key factor in the development and implementation
process of adaptation strategies and frameworks.

Mainstreaming of climate adaptation into existing plans and policies is an effective
way of implementing adaptation measures at national and local level.

Effective monitoring tools and periodic reviews of existing policy must form part of an
effective adaptation framework.

Increasing and maintaining public and political awareness of adaptation is a
significant challenge for member states.
Other developments
Spatial planning
While the spatial planning system has always indirectly considered the impact of climate
change through the promotion of sustainable planning, the 2010 Planning and Development
Act required all new Development Plans to include objectives that;

promote measures to reduce energy demand;

reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and;

address the necessity of adaption to climate change
These objectives particularly apply to the context of location, layout and design of new
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development and consideration of climate change as a core issue which must be addressed.
These requirements have been further developed through the development of policy
measures such as the ‘Planning system and flood risk management’, a guidance document
for planning authorities that they are required to follow. This put in place a comprehensive
framework for assessing and dealing with flood risk, including the requirement for strategic
flood risk to be assessed during the preparation of all new development plans.
In relation to wider environmental policy the spatial planning system utilises environmental
impact assessments, strategic environmental assessments and appropriate assessments as
structured frameworks for assessing new developments impact on the environment,
including climate change.
The forthcoming National Planning framework and Regional Spatial and Economic
Strategies will put in pace a higher order spatial planning framework for the future
development of the country including policies to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Research
Research is the primary source of information on climate change for Ireland. A large body of
research has been undertaken by various agencies and sectors within Ireland with the
specific objective of informing policy and decision making on mitigation of GHG emissions
and options for adaptation to climate change.
Progress under NCCAF has been heavily dependent on scientific data and outputs provided
primarily by the EPA Climate Change Research Programme (CCRP), and others such as
Met Éireann, Marine institute, DAFM, CoFoRD, Office of Public Works (OPW) and national
Universities. Research will continue to be an essential element evidence based decision
making and the implementation of adaptation.
The EPA Climate Pillar of its research programme is based on four thematic research areas
and a coordination structure hosted by the EPA. Under a sub theme of Future Climate in
Ireland, Impacts and Adaptation, research is progressed with a view to providing information
on:
(a)
Observations, monitoring and analysis;
(b)
Modelling of future climate;
(c)
Impacts, risk and vulnerability assessment; and
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(d)
Adaptation information and responses.
Capacity Building
The development of capacity is a key prerequisite for successful adaptation to climate risks
and in identifying opportunities in climate adaptation.
The implementation of adaptation strategies requires a number of supports;

Data and information (provided through on-going monitoring, evaluation and
analysis);

Tools, methods, approaches;

Human resources-labour, skills, knowledge and expertise; and

Networks (formal and informal) to support action by learning and doing.
The development of capacity at the sectoral and local authority level continues to be
supported by interventions by DECLG and the EPA research Programme. Some of these
are discussed in the next sections.
Tools, methods, approaches
Recently developed tools include: Local Authority Climate Change Adaptation
Guidelines under the EPA Research Programme. These have been produced to support
the local government sector in the development of a local climate change adaptation
strategy. The guidelines draw heavily on the 2013 ‘Guidelines on developing adaptation
strategies’ provided to EU Member States by the European Commission (SWD (2013) 134),
with the aim of fostering coherence between strategies developed at local and national
scale.
These guidelines are complemented by an online adaptation tool (the Local Authority
Adaptation Support Wizard) developed to support the guidelines which is hosted on Ireland’s
Climate Information Platform (ICIP), Climate Ireland (www.climateireland.ie).
Climate Ireland
Climate Ireland is a one-stop web-based resource of climate and adaptation information for
Ireland with the specific purpose of facilitating decision makers at local and sectoral levels in
planning for climate change adaptation. Climate Ireland aims to improve decision makers
awareness and understanding of climate change and the implications of these changes for
Ireland as well as to provide decision-makers with the pre-requisite information for planning
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for climate change adaptation. Climate Ireland will also support adaptation decision making
through the development of decision-support frameworks and tools that are specifically
tailored to the needs of adaptation decision-making in Ireland. Development of Climate
Ireland is ongoing and the final stage of development expected to be completed by
December 2016. Climate Ireland is funded under the climate pillar of the EPA Research
Programme.
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Annex 3: Other Useful Resources on Adaptation
National Resources
Policy

DECLG (2014). Ireland's 6th National Communication under the UNFCC. Department
of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

DECLG (2013). National Policy Position on Climate Action & Low Carbon
Development, and General Scheme of Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development
Bill. Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

DECLG (2012). National Climate Change Adaptation Framework. Department of the
Environment, Community and Local Government.

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015
Climate Change Observations and Projections

Nolan, P. (2015). Ensemble of Regional Climate Model Projections for Ireland.
CCRP Report. EPA: Wexford.

Gleeson, E, McGrath, R and M. Treanor, eds. (2014). Ireland’s Climate: the road
ahead. Met Eireann: Dublin;

O'Dwyer (2012). The Status of Ireland’ Climate. CCRP Report No. 26. EPA: Wexford;

Kiely et al. (2010). Extreme weather, climate and natural disasters in Ireland. Climate
Change Research Programme. CCRP Report Series No. 5. EPA: Wexford.

McGrath and Lynch, eds. (2008). Ireland in a Warmer World: Scientific Predictions of
the Irish Climate. Met Éireann/University College Dublin. (c4i);

Sweeney et al. (2008). Climate Change - Refining the Impacts for Ireland. STRIVE
Report. EPA: Wexford;

McElwain and Sweeney (2007). Key Meteorological Indicators of Climate Change in
Ireland. Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland;

Sweeney et al. (2002). Climate Change Indicators for Ireland. ERTDI Report. EPA:
Wexford;
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Impacts and vulnerability

Desmond et al, 2009. Summary of the State of Knowledge on Climate Change
Impacts for Ireland. CCRP Report No. 1. EPA: Wexford.

Sweeney and Coll (2013). Current and Future Vulnerabilities to Climate Change in
Ireland (Sweeney and Coll, 2013). CCRP Report Series No. 29. EPA: Wexford.

Sweeney et al, 2013. COCOADAPT. CCRP Report No. 30. EPA: Wexford.

McGrath and Lynch, eds. (2008). Ireland in a Warmer World: Scientific Predictions of
the Irish Climate. Met Éireann/University College Dublin. (c4i);

Sweeney et al. (2008). Climate Change - Refining the Impacts for Ireland. STRIVE
Report. EPA: Wexford.

Sweeney et al. (2003). Climate Change Scenarios and Impacts for Ireland. ERTDI
Report. EPA: Wexford;
Sectoral studies

Falaleeva et al. (2013). Coastal Climate Adaptation in Ireland Assessing current
conditions and enhancing the capacity for climate resilience in local coastal
management. CCRP Report No. 28. EPA: Wexford;

Donnelly et al, (2013). Climate Change Impacts on Phenology: Implications for
Terrestrial Ecosystems. CCRP Report Series No. 22. EPA: Wexford;

Murphy et al. (2013). Hyrdrodetect . CCRP Report Series No. 27. EPA: Wexford;

Sweeney et al. (2013). Coordination, Communication and Adaptation for Climate
Change in Ireland: an integrated approach (COCOADAPT). CCRP Report No 30.
EPA: Wexford;

Coll et al. (2013). Winners and Losers: Climate Change Impacts on Biodiversity in
Ireland. CCRP Report Series No. 19. EPA: Wexford;

Hall et al. (2012). Robust Adaptation to Climate Change in the Water Sector in
Ireland . CCRP Report No 16. EPA: Wexford;

Forfás (2010). Adaptation to Climate Change: Issues for Business. Forfás.;

Nolan, G., Gillooly, M., Whelan, K. (eds) (2010), Irish Ocean Climate and Ecosystem
Status Report Summary 2009. Marine Institute.

Kelly and Stack, eds. (2009). Climate Change, Heritage and Tourism: Implications for
Ireland's Coast and Inland Waterways. Heritage Council;

Boelens et al. (2005). Climate Change: Implications for Ireland's IAE (2009). Ireland
at Risk - Critical infrastructure: Adaptation for Climate Change. Irish Academy of
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Engineers;
Adaptation Decision Making:

Desmond and Shine (2013). Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Sectoral
Policies in Ireland. CCRP Report Series No. 10. EPA: Wexford.

Ireland’s Climate Information Platform (ICIP) (www.climateireland.ie) - ICIP aims
to provide information to key stakeholders working on climate change adaptation, to
create awareness and understanding of climate impacts and adaptation and to
understand the measures that can be taken to reduce risk. The Platform will be a key
support to the implementation of the NCCAF.

EPA Environmental Baseline Date: Information on the most recent baseline data
available is published on the EPA website and can be consulted here.
International Resources
Policy


EC (2013). An EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change. Brussels.
Paris Agreement, UNFCCC
Climate Change Observations and Projections

IPCC, 2014: Summary for policymakers. In: Climate Change 2014: Impacts,
Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of
Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (Field, et al, 2014);

IPCC, 2013: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2013: The Physical
Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Stocker et al, 2013);

EEA (2012). Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2012: An Indicatorbased report. European Environment Agency, Copenhagen.
Adaptation Decision-making
 EEA (2013). Adaptation in Europe – Addressing risks and opportunities form climate
change in the context of socio-economic developments. European Environment
Agency, Copenhagen.
 European Climate Adaptation Platform- CLIMATE-ADAPT: A publicly accessible webbased platform that has been designed to support policy-makers at all levels (EU,
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national, regional, local) in the development of climate change adaptation measures and
policies.
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