Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 June 2024
60. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when the 2023 Irish Aid Climate and Environmental Finance Report will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25163/24]
View answerThe Government is required to report annually on Ireland's annual climate finance, to the EU, to the OECD Development Assistance Committee, and to the UNFCCC. In addition, the Department of Foreign Affairs publishes an annual Climate and Environmental Finance Report, which provides information on the sources of finance, the thematic and geographic focus of funding and the channels through which funding is provided. These reports are available online.
In line with the EU Governance Regulation, Ireland will submit 2023 climate finance data to the EU before the deadline of 30 September 2024. Following verification of Ireland’s 2023 data for Official Development Assistance by the OECD Development Assistance Committee, a finalised figure for Ireland’s climate finance is then calculated. This verification process will likely conclude in the fourth Quarter of this year. The Department of Foreign Affairs will publish Ireland’s 2023 Climate and Environmental Finance Report as soon as possible thereafter.
As set out in the most recent report, in 2022 Ireland provided a total of €120.8 million in climate finance. This represents our highest verified spend to date. Of this, 65% was provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs; 16% by the Department of Finance; 15% by Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, and 4% by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Marine.
At COP26 held in Glasgow in 2021, the Taoiseach announced a target of providing at least €225 million per year in climate finance to developing countries by 2025. The Government has made significant progress in scaling up Ireland’s climate finance and we are on track to meet this target by 2025. We estimate that Ireland provided at least €147 million in climate finance last year. A finalised figure and detailed breakdown will be published in the forthcoming report for 2023.
