From Projections to Policy: Embedding Climate Services in National Decision-Making in Ireland

Ireland’s National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS), established in 2022, facilitates sustained collaboration between climate information providers and users to deliver decision-relevant climate services. The NFCS promotes knowledge exchange across the science–policy–user interface, integrates scientific advances, and supports Ireland’s climate resilience efforts by signposting authoritative climate information, promoting existing tools, and reducing duplication of effort. 

The establishment of the NFCS followed a low-risk “project-first” approach to test national appetite and relevance before formalizing long-term structures. Rather than beginning with a permanent framework without clear demand, this approach allowed Met Éireann (Ireland’s National Meteorological Service) to identify stakeholders, evaluate engagement pathways, and identify potential challenges through time-bound projects. This provided a robust evidence base for transitioning to a sustained national climate services infrastructure. 

Here we describe an “all-of-government” approach to building permanent mechanisms for the generation, management, and use of climate services in support of adaptation planning. We outline how the NFCS has moved from coordination and dialogue toward enabling consistent, actionable use of climate information across sectors, and reflect on successes, challenges, and lessons learned that are relevant to climate service providers internationally. 

By 2026, notable achievements of Ireland’s operational NFCS include: 

• The embedding of the NFCS within national climate policy infrastructure, ensuring that all sectors developing Sectoral Adaptation Plans are using a common, authoritative climate data baseline.

• The development of a semi-quantitative climate risk assessment framework, designed for reuse by sectors and organizations to support structured, transparent risk assessments. 

• The organization of national workshops addressing key cross-cutting challenges for climate services, including data rescue, artificial intelligence for climate services, and uncertainty in climate change projections. 

• The production of synthesis guidance on sea-level rise for Ireland, translating complex scientific evidence into consistent, decision-ready information for policy and planning. 

• The establishment of a permanent NFCS identity through a dedicated webpage, branding, an operational online helpdesk, quarterly newsletters, and thematic hubs that aggregate relevant data, services, and communications. 

• Continued support for major national climate initiatives, including the National Adaptation Framework, the National Climate Change Risk Assessment, and sectoral adaptation planning processes. 

• International recognition of Ireland’s NFCS as a case study in the WMO State of Climate Services report, highlighting its role in enabling climate-informed decision-making across sectors such as the built environment, transport, water, and agriculture. 

This contribution demonstrates how a national climate services framework can evolve from scientific coordination toward operational, policy-embedded climate services, offering transferable lessons on governance, standardization, and the translation of climate science into action.