¶ Climate Action Mandate 2023
Public bodies are required to report on their progress on implementing the 2023 Climate Action Mandate.
The 2023 Climate Action Mandate, which is set out in box 10.2 of the 2023 Climate Action Plan, applies to all public bodies, except local authorities, commercial semi-state bodies and the school sector.
- The Climate Action Plan sets out a responsibility for each public body’s Climate and Sustainability Champion to report annually, through SEAI's M&R system, on the organisation's progress on implementing the Mandate .
- This reporting obligation is fulfilled by completing the Statement on compliance with the Climate Action Mandate via the M&R system.
Your organisation's Statement on compliance with the 2023 Climate Action Mandate comprises responses to 32 questions and a summary statement. Each question corresponds to a specific section in the Mandate.
To complete the Statement for your organisation:
- You must provide a multiple-choice response for 30 of the questions (mandatory). These responses will be published on SEAI's website.
- You must provide a freetext explanation of your organisation's progress for all 32 questions (mandatory). There is a maximum limit of 2,000 characters per explanation. These explanations will not be published.
- You must provide a freetext summary statement (mandatory). There is a maximum limit of 2,000 characters for the summary statement. The summary statement will be published verbatim on SEAI's website.
- Your Climate & Sustainability Champion must login to the M&R system and formally submit the complete Statement via the system.
- Only the Climate & Sustainability Champion can formally submit the Statement.
- Only a fully-completed Statement can be submitted, i.e. the system will not allow the submission of a Statement if any mandatory fields have not been completed.
- The deadline for submitting your Statement is 17:00 on Friday 6 December 2024. It will not be possible to submit a Statement after this time.
- The functionality to prepare and submit your Statement will be available in early-mid October 2024.
- The 32 questions that must be answered are listed below.
- Detailed guidance on responding to each question will be added before the reporting functionality is launched.
The Statement on compliance with 2023 Climate Action Mandate comprises the following sections and questions.
- §1.1 Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets
- Q1.1.1 Review your organisation's progress towards the 2030 greenhouse gas emissions targets in the key indicators report, and provide commentary on your progress below.
- §1.2 Energy efficiency target
- Q1.2.1 Review your organisation's progress towards the 2030 energy efficiency target in the key indicators report, and provide commentary on your progress below.
- §1.3 Climate action roadmaps
- Q1.3.1 Does your organisation have an up-to-date Climate Action Roadmap?
- §3.1 Annual report
- Q3.1.1 In its most recent annual report, has your organisation reported on its greenhouse gas emissions?
- Q3.1.2 In its most recent annual report, has your organisation reported progress on its implementation of the mandate?
- Q3.1.3 In its most recent annual report, has your organisation reported on sustainability activities it has completed?
- Q3.1.4 In its most recent annual report, has your organisation confirmed that it complied with the requirements of Circular 1/2020?
- §3.2 Paper
- Q3.2.1 Has paper usage across the organisation been reviewed?
- Q3.2.2 Have the possibilities for digitisation of any paper-based processes been evaluated?
- Q3.2.3 Has your organisation eliminated paper-based processes as far as is practicable?
- Q3.2.4 Where paper has been procured, was recycled paper purchased?
- §3.3 Environmental & energy management certification
- Q3.3.1 If your organisation is a large public sector body, has it achieved formal environmental certification?
- Q3.3.2 If your organisation has an annual energy spend greater than €2m, has it achieved, or is it working towards achieving, ISO 50001 certification by end-2024?
- Q3.3.3 If your organisation has not achieved formal environmental or energy management certification, has it implemented energy management programmes?
- §3.4 Green public procurement
- Q3.4.1 For procurement of goods, services or works in 2023, for which national GPP criteria were available, did your organisation include GPP criteria in published tender documentation for individual contracts using public funds that are at a value above the applicable EU procurement thresholds?
- Q3.4.2 Has your organisation ceased using disposable cups, plates and cutlery in relevant canteens/facilities?
- Q3.4.3 For directly procured or supported construction projects in 2023, has your organisation specified low carbon construction methods and low carbon cement material (where applicable) in the relevant procurement process?
¶ 4 Our buildings and vehicles
- §4.1 Promotion of cycling & shared mobility
- Q4.1.1 Does your organisation have facilities that support the use of bicycles and shared mobility options?
- Q4.1.2 Has your organisation achieved, or is it working towards achieving, the Smarter Travel Mark?
- §4.2 Phase out of parking
- Q4.2.1 Has your organisation started to phase out parking in buildings where there are adequate public transport, active travel and/or shared mobility alternatives?
- §4.3 Display energy certificates
- Q4.3.1 Does your organisation display up-to-date Display Energy Certificates in all public buildings that are open to the public?
- §4.4 Installation of fossil fuel systems
- Q4.4.1 Please confirm that your organisation has not installed any fossil-fuel heating systems in any new buildings since 2023. If your organisation has installed such systems, select 'no' and explain the basis for this exception.
- Q4.4.2 Please confirm that your organisation has not installed any fossil-fuel heating systems in any ‘major renovation’ retrofit projects since 2023. If your organisation has installed such systems, select 'no' and explain the basis for this exception.
- §4.5 Existing buildings
- Q4.5.1 If your organisation has a large estate, did it commence or complete a deep retrofit of at least one building in 2023?
- Q4.5.2 Has your organisation developed a building stock plan appropriate for the scale of your organisation?
- §4.6 Zero emission vehicles
- Q4.6.1 For vehicle procurements since the end of 2022, has your organisation procured only zero emission vehicles, where relevant?
- Q4.6.2 Do your procurement contracts for delivery and haulage specify zero-emissions vehicles, where relevant?
Your organisation is required to provide a summary statement that summarises its compliance with the 2023 Climate Action Mandate. This summary statement is published.