Thread by @autofac

The revised draft of the new Climate Bill (now "signed off" by government) has landed! I know many long, hard, hours went into this: well done to all, but especially @EamonRyan. Announcement and text here: gov.ie/en/publication…

It's not perfect, no bill could satisfy all demands: but for myself, on first speed read, this version has moved a *long* way and deserves wide support!

It now correctly identifies the overarching goals of climate mitigation policy as being, from the top, the "ultimate objective" of the UNFCCC: stabilization of GHG concentrations at a level preventing dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system...

... quickly enough for ecosystems to adapt naturally, protect food production, and enable sustainable economic development.

Then after that, are the provisions of the Paris Agreement (in support of the UNFCCC "ultimate objective"), Articles 2 (temperature goals) and 4.1 ("balance of anthropogenic emissions and removals").

These are explicitly the top parameters for the (reformed) Climate Change Advisory Council to refer to in drafting a recommended rolling 15-year "carbon budget" programme. That was not very clear in previous draft so a big improvement.

There is language linking the first 10 year budget period (2021-2030) to the programme for government commitment to reduce emissions over that period "by an average of 7% per year"...

Good to get that on a somewhat statutory basis - even if quite obscure and opts for the softer translation of that commitment as meaning an overall 51% reduction in annual emissions by 2030 (the two are not actually the same in general!).

So-called "biogenic methane" still gets multiple mentions. Despite that there's actually no such thing (methane is methane). There are distinct "biogenic" *sources* of methane - but that makes only a very small perturbation to its climate impact.

That's it for the first scan. Maybe more to follow as the dust settles a bit.

@threadreaderapp unroll