Climate

An EU directive promoting the use of electric cars by public bodies has been transposed into Irish law. The European Communities (Clean and Energy-Efficient Road Transport Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 381 of 2021) came into effect on Monday 2 August 2021.

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 has been signed by the president, setting Ireland on its path to net zero carbon emissions.  The Act means that Ireland is now on a legally binding path to net-zero emissions no later than 2050, and to a 51 per cent re

A new specialist bar association focused on climate issues is due to be launched at a webinar this week. Comhshaol, the Climate Bar Association, will be dedicated to pursuing pro-environmental initiatives within the Law Library and in society more widely.

Oil industry body Fuels For Ireland has lodged a complaint with the EU over alleged illegal state aid by the government. The complaint is based on Fuels For Ireland's claim that oil-based energy consumers have had responsibility for the funding of the government's Climate Action Fund placed solely u

Pinsent Masons has unveiled targets to cut absolute carbon emissions by a minimum of 50 per cent by 2030, as it continues to reduce its environmental impact. The firm’s targets, which are among the first law firm targets to be verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), commit to

Businesses could soon face a deluge of legal actions brought against them over greenhouse gas emissions due to advances in climate science, according to experts. In excess of 1,500 legal actions have already been initiated against fossil fuel companies which have played a major role in carbon emissi

Hazel Chu, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, will take part in a live panel discussion tonight as part of the final week of the Law Society of Ireland's massive open online course (MOOC) on environmental law and climate change. Ms Chu will deliver the keynote speech and take part in a panel discussion on "S

An oil giant has been ordered to cut its global carbon emissions in a landmark ruling involving 17,000 co-plaintiffs. Royal Dutch Shell was ordered by a court in The Hague to lower its emissions by 45 per cent by the end of 2030 as compared with 2019 levels in a case brought by Friends of the Earth.

Dr Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and adjunct professor of climate justice at Trinity College Dublin, will deliver the opening presentation of the Law Society of Ireland's new five-week online course on climate justice. Over 2,600 people have registered for the Law Society's seventh mass

This year's recipients of the memorial bursary established in the memory of the late Arthur Cox partner Niamh Burke are Laura Nagle and Criodán Ó Murchú. The annual bursary is administered by Wind Energy Ireland and offers up to €50,000 to individuals wishing to study

ByrneWallace LLP has been named as a sponsor of the inaugural Dublin Climate Dialogues, a virtual conference for global policy-makers and opinion formers ahead of the COP26 summit. Taking place later this month, the event will bring together senior government representatives from the US, China, Euro

Arthur Cox LLP, one of Ireland's largest law firms, has announced a commitment to become carbon neutral this year and carbon negative by 2025. The firm's new carbon reduction strategy will see it reduce its carbon footprint by 50 per cent of 2018 levels by 2025, while taking additional measures to o

The government's revised climate legislation still lacks the ambition needed to address wider issues of inequality, Community Law & Mediation (CLM) has said. Ministers this week approved the final text of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021, which will now be intr

A new Centre for Environmental Justice aimed at protecting communities from disadvantage as a result of climate change has been launched by Community Law & Mediation (CLM). Mary Robinson, former Irish president and adjunct professor for climate justice at Trinity College Dublin, welcomed the "ti

A new report published by Eversheds Sutherland in partnership with KPMG IMPACT highlights the need for companies to take greater account of climate risk and move towards decarbonisation. The Climate Change and Corporate Value: What Companies Really Think report collates the views of 500 corporate le