Latest news with #ClimateActionPlan2024
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
EPA report lets cat out of the bag on greenhouse gas emissions
Confirmation from the Environmental Protection Agency over the past few days that Ireland has gone backwards on its greenhouse gas emissions targets is hugely disappointing. People are blue in the face, listening to government ministers and policy makers constantly highlighting the important of climate action and their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Now however, the EPA has let the cat out of the bag. Despite all that talk, the gap to where Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions must be by 2030 is widening. And it is not widening by a little. It is widening by a lot. The legally binding target is for Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions to be 51% lower, in 2030, than they were in 2018. A year ago, EPA analysis suggested that if every realistic climate policy in the Climate Action Plan was delivered on time, ahead of 2030, it might be possible to cut emissions by 29%, at most. Now, after receiving updates from Government departments and agencies, the EPA says the maximum reduction achievable, is only 23%. Either number - a cut of 23% or 29% - represents a massive failure. There is the global warming potential, and the climate damage, caused by not cutting emissions fast enough. But there is also a huge cost to the taxpayer. Recent analysis from the Irish Fiscal Council and the Climate Change Advisory Council suggested it could cost the taxpayer up to €26 billion for carbon credits by 2030, to make up the shortfall envisaged last year. But now that the emissions gap is bigger, the bill to the taxpayer will be bigger too. This feels like some kind of disaster unfolding in slow motion. The focus must shift from policy aspiration to practical implementation The key reason is that despite all the talk from politicians there is not enough focus on implementing and delivering the climate-related policies the government has signed up to. That is what Laura Burke, the Director General of the EPA, said when she launched the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Projections Report last Wednesday. "This highlights the economy-wide effort needed to decarbonise our society and the focus must shift from policy aspiration to practical implementation." That was how she put it. A key paragraph on page 10 of the EPA report, goes right to the heart of why we are going backwards. Know first, that these latest emissions projections were done on the basis of the official "Climate Action Plan 2024", published at the end of 2023. On page 10 the EPA report explains that: "Climate Action Plan 2025 is not specifically referenced in this report as it had yet to be published during the preparation phase of the 2024-2055 projections. A review was undertaken and there are no significant additional measures in CAP 2025 therefore no major omissions in these projections." What this paragraph is saying is that, with so few years to go before the crucial 2030 deadline, an entire year has been allowed to pass without a single important climate initiative, or effort, having been added to the policy mix. Yet there is no time to waste. Notwithstanding the need to constantly come up with new policy initiatives, the number one thing should be to deliver, as quickly as possible, on the climate- related commitments already made. Delaying difficult but inevitable changes only makes them harder to implement. It will not make them go away. 'Sustainable transport' Climate Action Plan 2023 introduced a so-called "Avoid-Shift" policy on transport. The aim was to introduce behavioural change and sustainable transport measures to save 2 million tonnes of carbon emissions. Central to that was a commitment to increase the price of petrol and diesel out to 2030 to encourage people to choose other modes of transport. So far there is no sign of any willingness by Government to follow through on that. But if they are not going to do it, what are they going to do instead to deliver the promised emissions reduction? Last year the target was 945,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030. This year the EPA says the maximum possible is 640,750. Many observers doubt even that amount can be achieved - especially since tax incentives to encourage electric vehicle purchases have been reduced in recent years. What will the Government do to address that? There is also a commitment in the Climate Action Plan to use behavioural and sustainable transport measures to engineer a reduction in total vehicle kilometres travelled. We are still waiting for that, and very much more. Time is running out for climate action. We have one year less to go to an immovable deadline in 2030. The clear message from the EPA this week is that government inaction is the core of the problem and the potential bill for the public, which is already enormous, is rising by the day.
Irish Examiner
12-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Environmental group challenges permission for Shannon LNG terminal in Kerry
An environmental group has brought a High Court action seeking to quash An Bord Pleanála's (ABP) decision to grant planning permission for a liquefied natural gas terminal in north Co Kerry. The planning authority in March granted permission to Shannon LNG for the proposed development of a 600MW power plant on a 630-acre site between Tarbert and Ballylongford on the Shannon Estuary. On Monday, Mr Justice Richard Humphreys gave permission to John Kenny BL, appearing for Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) and instructed by FP Logue solicitors, to bring judicial review proceedings against An Bord Pleanála, Ireland, the Attorney General and the Minister for Housing. Shannon LNG is a notice party in the action. Last September, following proceedings brought by Shannon LNG, Mr Justice Humphreys overturned the board's refusal of planning permission for the proposed power station. In its reviewed decision, the board said it was satisfied that the plant was consistent with national climate ambitions. In its court documents, FIE claims that ABP breached Irish and European law in granting permission for the proposed development. FIE claims An Bord Pleanála failed to adequately consider statutory carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings set out in the Government's Climate Action Plan 2024 in its decision, and its related obligations under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. FIE says that the board did not gauge how the proposed development was consistent with carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings, other than to justify the granted permission because of Government policy support for constructing gas-fired power stations deemed necessary for achieving the target of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. FIE says the calculated greenhouse gas emissions arising from the proposed development is 'manifestly incorrect and significantly underestimated' in an environmental impact assessment report submitted to the board by the developer. Based on these 'underestimated' calculations, the proposed development will account for one third of all budgeted emissions – based on limits set out in the 2024 Climate Action Plan – from the entire electricity sector in 2030, FIE claims. FIE also says the board was wrong to find that the proposed development constitutes a sustainable development, and its decision to grant permission is invalid as it constitutes a material contravention of the Kerry County Development Plan 2022-2028 and Listowel Municipal District Local Area Plan 2020-2026. FIE says An Bord Pleanála breached obligations under the European Union's environmental impact assessment directive. The environmental group claims the board could not and did not make a valid decision on the impact of the proposed development under the EU's Habitats Directive. The case returns to court in two weeks. Read More An Bord Pleanála withdraws appeal leave application in Shannon LNG case
Irish Post
29-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Post
Answer is definitely blowin' in the wind — report reveals Ireland's untapped wind potential
IRELAND could seriously boost its onshore wind power if key challenges in planning and grid infrastructure are overcome, a major new report has found. The study, Protecting Consumers: Our Onshore Wind Energy Opportunity , commissioned by Wind Energy Ireland and carried out by consultants MKO (Ireland's largest planning and environmental consultancy), found that after accounting for all environmental, planning, and technical constraints, around 1.86% of Ireland's mainland area remains viable for future onshore wind projects. That represents a lot of energy. That would be enough to support between 5,768 MW and 9,444 MW of new wind capacity — more than double the 5,250 MW of onshore wind currently operational or under construction. To put that in context, 9,444 MW of new wind power would be enough to fully charge every smartphone in Ireland — and still have enough left over to power the entire country, towns, airports, hospitals and homes. Ireland is, in short, one of the windiest countries in the EU, offering a bottomless natural resource that can — and should — be harnessed. The findings come at a crucial time for Ireland's energy strategy. Under the Climate Action Plan 2024, Ireland is targeting 9GW of onshore wind by 2030, alongside major offshore projects. But Wind Energy Ireland CEO Noel Cunniffe cautions that 'offshore will take time,' and stresses that onshore wind must continue to provide the backbone of Ireland's renewable energy supply well into the next decade. Offshore wind is generally more acceptable to residents, with turbines at sea attracting fewer complaints — but sadly the cost of building offshore is vastly higher. In a country where sunshine is more often an occasional visitor than a reliable feature, betting on solar energy alone is risky. Ireland, however, can almost always count on the wind. Since 2000, Ireland's wind farms have saved consumers approximately €840 million in avoided fossil fuel costs. Yet the MKO report stresses that unlocking future gains will not be straightforward. Among the biggest risks identified are landowner consent issues, planning delays, judicial reviews, the lack of sufficient grid infrastructure in rural areas, and challenges in securing competitive market routes. The study warns that up to 74% of the theoretical project pipeline could fall away unless urgent action is taken. The report calls for: Raising the 9GW target to reflect new potential; Major grid investment to connect rural projects; Clear national planning guidance to replace inconsistent local policies; Updated wind farm development guidelines; and A national landscape sensitivity map to guide development to suitable locations. Future wind development would be concentrated mainly in the Northern and Western Region (45% of potential), followed by the Southern Region (29%) and the Eastern and Midlands (26%). Cunliffe said that taking these steps would not only help Ireland meet its climate goals, but also secure 'energy independence and economic resilience' in the face of volatile global fossil fuel markets. With Ireland heavily reliant on vulnerable imported energy — from Middle Eastern oil to nuclear-generated power flowing via Europe (through underwater cables that are now possible targets for malign powers or terrorist attack) — developing a secure, home-grown supply of renewable energy is not just energy-smart policy: it is essential for the nation's security. Harnessing the power of wind — and tides — offers Ireland a clean, endless, and truly sovereign energy future. See More: Climate Change, Energy, Wind Power
