Friends of the Earth welcomes Phil Hogan's climate roadmap

Minister plans to introduce climate legislation by the end of next year.

Friends of the Earth has welcomed the publication today of a detailed "Roadmap for Climate Policy and Legislation" by Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan.

Friends of the Earth Director, Oisin Coghlan, said

"This timeline lacks urgency, it's climate policy for slow learners. But it does set out a step-by-step plan to pass climate legislation by the end of 2013. The roadmap provides welcome clarity about the Government's commitment to passing a climate law and outlines the opportunities for public participation in its development".

The Roadmap commits to the following steps:

• a public consultation on climate policy and legislation until the end of April
• publication of the Heads of a Climate Bill in the last quarter of 2012
• the Oireachtas Committee to make recommendations before the end of June 2013
• the Government to introduce the final Bill to the Oireachtas in the second half of 2013

"The publication of the Roadmap is in no small part due to the work of the Oireachtas environment committee, chaired by Ciaran Lynch TD. The committee called Minister Hogan in in December to clarify his plans and at that meeting he agreed to publish this roadmap. " Mr Coghlan concluded.

ENDS
The Department of Environment press release and roadmap are available here http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/Atmosphere/News/MainBody,29241,en.htm