Case Study: Research Policy Interface Thematic Group

Statutory Carbon Budgets

Ireland’s Oireachtas approved Carbon Budgets on April 6 2022 for the period 2021-2025 (195 Mt CO2eq) and 2026-2030 (100 Mt CO2eq) https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/carbon-budgets.pdf

Academics and Institutional Affiliation:

Hannah Daly (1), Brian Ó Gallachóir (1), Andrew Smith (1), Lisa Ryan (2), Aoife Aherne (2), Paul Price (2) and David Styles (3)

1-University College Cork, 2-University College Dublin, 3-University of Limerick

Evidence of policy outcome referencing the role of the research:

Yes. The Government note on the agreed carbon budgets (referred to above) stated that “Modelling and analysis undertaken by University College Cork, Teagasc and University of Limerick informed the CCAC’s calculations for the carbon budgets. This modelling illustrated the quantity of GHGs that would be emitted under different scenarios that ultimately lead to Ireland meeting the overall target of 51% reduction in GHGs by 2030.”

Research undertaken that informed or underpinned the policy outcome:

The Climate Change Advisory Council established a Committee on Carbon Budgets that considered UCC modelling UCC on the energy system (https://tim-carbon-budgets-2021.netlify.app/scenarios) Teagasc modelling on agriculture and UL modelling on land use. This research is summarised in the Carbon Budget Technical Report, along with the proposed carbon budgets that were adopted (https://www.climatecouncil.ie/media/climatechangeadvisorycouncil/Technical%20report%20on%20carbon%20budgets%2025.10.2021.pdf)

Key learnings for you from this research-policy bridging process:

The Climate Change Advisory Council Committee on Carbon Budgets effectively established an innovative mechanism for policy co-production between researchers, State Agencies and Government Departments. It highlights the fourth dimension of bridging between research and policy, from informing, engaging underpinning and co-producing policy. An additional dimension was the researchers being called before an Oireachtas (Parliamentary) Committee to provide evidence based on their research findings.

SDGs impacted:

SDG 7, SDG 13 & SDG 15