Client: Department of the Environment, Climate, and Communications
EnvEcon Decision Support provided a screening for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) on Ireland’s Long-Term Climate Action Strategy (LTS). The LTS sets out Ireland’s climate targets and indicative sectoral pathways for climate action on the short-term horizon to 2030, aligning with the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) and Climate Action Plans (CAPs) and then charting pathways for the long-term horizon to 2050. There is recognition that the shorter-term pathways are, of course, relevant to the longer-term outcomes.
The overarching objective of the SEA process defined within Article 1 of the SEA Directive 2001/42/EC is “to provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations in the preparation and adaptation of plans and programs with a view to promoting sustainable development.” Ireland’s LTS is focused on delivering positive environmental outcomes in line with the national climate goals.
An SEA screening is undertaken to determine whether a plan or programme falls within the scope of SEA Directive 2001/42/EC. If the screening process determines that the plan or programme, in this case the LTS, is within the scope of the Directive, then an environmental assessment in accordance with the Directive will be carried out.
