Climate adaptation is the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects. It is not a one-time emergency response, but a series of proactive measures that are taken over time to build the resilience of our economy and society to the impacts of climate change. Adaptation ultimately seeks to minimise the costs of climate change impacts and maximise any opportunities that may arise.

Although the importance of adaptation is increasingly recognised at global, EU and national levels, multiple reports highlight a general lack of preparedness across the globe. Reports of extreme weather events and their impacts are an almost constant presence in the media, and the increased intensity and frequency of weather events due to climate change is a growing feature in global policymaking. Extreme heatwaves across Europe saw many regional temperature records broken in July 2023 while deadly wildfires raged across Hawaii, Canada and on the Greek island of Rhodes. These wildfires caused death and destruction of property across large regions in the short term but will also have longer term impacts from which will take years, if not decades, to recover from.

Ireland has also recently experienced a number of high profile extreme weather events that have brought the need for effective climate adaptation measures to build resilience to the impacts of climate change to public attention. Other climate change impacts will also have significant impacts on many areas of life in Ireland over the medium to longer term.

In Ireland, according to Met Éireann data, 2023 was the warmest year on record. June 2023 exceeded the previous hottest June on record (1940) by more than half a degree, while July 2023 was the wettest July on record in Ireland with four times more rain than July 2022. Extreme weather is predicted to become more common over the coming years and decades impacting many aspects of our economy and society.

In accordance with the provisions of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Acts 2015 to 2021, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications published a National Adaptation Framework (NAF) in 2018. A review of the existing NAF took place in 2022, incorporating feedback from key Sectoral, Departmental and Agency Stakeholders and the public. The Review recommended the drafting of a new NAF.

We are now publishing a new draft National Adaptation Framework (NAF) for public consultation. Following the consultation, this new NAF, subject to Government approval, will replace the existing NAF.

The draft published for consultation sets out the policy and context for adaptation policy in Ireland and how the Government will deal the planning and implementation of climate adaptation in Ireland over the next five years. The publication of the draft represents another step in transitioning Ireland to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050.

An important part of the NAF requires key sectors under the remit of relevant Government Ministers to prepare statutory sectoral adaptation plans. Local authorities are also required to prepare Local Authority Climate Action Plans (LACAPs). Work on LACAPs is currently underway in all local authorities. Work on sectoral plans will start following approval of the NAF by Government within all Government Departments identified in the final version of the NAF. The NAF also has relevance to other stakeholders such as Government Agencies, Semi state commercial bodies, communities and the private sector.

A revised draft of the NAF will be prepared following this public consultation and submitted to the Government seeking approval in 2024.

The closing date for submissions is 5.30pm 19 February 2024

Please send your submissions by email to NationalAdaptationFramework@decc.gov.ie with the subject line ‘NAF Consultation’ or by post to:

National Adaptation Framework Public Consultation

Aarhus, Climate Adaptation, Citizen Engagement and Local Government Division

Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

29-31 Adelaide Road

Dublin 2

D02 X285