Agriculture minister launches public consultation on plan for sectors to adapt to climate change
The announcement of the public consultation launch came from the Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon. Commenting on the launch, Minister Heydon said: "I am very pleased to launch this public consultation for the 2025 edition of the Sectoral Adaptation Plan.
"We have made considerable progress in mainstreaming adaptation into policy development, with climate change adaptation referenced as a key enabler in Ireland's Forest Strategy 2023-2030, Food Vision 2030, CAP Strategic Plan and the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development 2030. Adaptation is also embedded in our Climate Action Plans."
The department has stressed that climate change adaptation is an ongoing process of adjusting to current or anticipated effects of climate change, saying it is not a one-off emergency response but a strategic, proactive effort to build the resilience of the economy, communities and ecosystems.
The department's aim for effective adaptation is to reduce the long-term costs of climate-related disruptions while seizing any new opportunities that a changing climate may present. This process will include preparing for a range of climate-related events such as floods, fodder shortages, and increasingly severe storms affecting harbours, forests, and other vulnerable sectors.
The minister went on to say at the launch: "In addition to reducing our emissions, we need to ensure that our food production system is resilient and ready to adapt to future climate risks. Farmers, landowners, and fishermen are very much to the forefront of dealing with the impacts of a changing climate in their everyday activities.
"However, climate change is not just an issue for the primary producer; it is something that everyone in the production chain needs to consider.
The Irish agriculture, forestry and seafood sectors will not only be impacted by changes in climate here at home, but also by climate change globally.
The draft 2025 Sectoral Adaptation Plan highlights a number of case studies identifying how the sectors have and will continue to be impacted by changing weather patterns and steps towards building resilience.
Feedback on the plan and suggestions as to how the Department of Agriculture and its sectors themselves can best prepare to operate in a changing climate should be submitted before the closing date of September 4, 2025.
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