First published by the Common Climate and Law initiative (CCLI) and Chapter Zero Alliance January 2026.
In the Directors’ Duties Navigator – Climate Risk and Sustainability Disclosures (5th Edition, 2026), Jill Shaw, Anne O’Neill and Erin Ward join experts across the globe to share jurisdiction specific insights on the key legal and regulatory developments influencing directors’ responsibilities as climate and sustainability considerations become increasingly central to corporate governance. The Ireland chapter outlines government and regulatory approaches to climate change, sustainability and climate related disclosure requirements, liability risks for companies and directors and practical guidance to support effective board oversight.
Key takeaways include:
- Ireland is legally committed to cutting GHG emissions by 51% by 2030 (vs 2018) and achieving a climate neutral, biodiversity rich economy by 2050, with sectoral carbon budgets and annual Climate Action Plans increasingly shaping regulation and market conditions.
- The Central Bank of Ireland classifies climate change as a material financial risk and requires banks, insurers, asset managers and other regulated firms to integrate climate and ESG risks into governance, risk management and disclosures.
- Greenwashing is a regulatory priority for the Central Bank of Ireland as well as being a key area of focus for the European Supervisory Authorities.
- The Central Bank of Ireland recognises biodiversity loss as a systemic financial risk that could accelerate ecosystem collapse.
- Directors must consider climate and nature related risks when relevant to the company’s interests in discharging their duties.
- Irish company law requires directors to exercise “informed stewardship,” meaning they must understand financially material climate and nature risks.
- Although no Irish cases have yet tested directors’ liability for climate or nature issues, breaches of fiduciary duty may expose directors to personal liability.
- CSRD aligned sustainability reporting is now part of the directors’ report for in scope companies and is subject to assurance and regulatory scrutiny.
- Failure to produce a compliant directors’ report (including the sustainability statement) is a statutory offence, and knowingly making a false statement in it constitutes a criminal offence.
View full publication (pdf)
By Jill Shaw, Anne O’Neill and Erin Ward of A&L Goodbody LLP.
