The new Climate Action Plan outlines measures for electricity, transport, agriculture and other sectors to try to meet legally-binding emissions targets, as well as the benefits of taking action - but gaps still need to be filled
THE GOVERNMENT HAS published its 2023 Climate Action Plan, charting how Ireland will try to cut greenhouse gas emissions in line with legally-binding targets.
Earlier this year, the government signed off on specific carbon budgets that set down limits on the amount of greenhouse gases that Ireland must not surpass over three five-year cycles and a further breakdown of emissions ceilings between sectors. It said further evaluation of possible technologies and measures will be completed before the start of the second carbon budget cycle to identify “additional abatement potential”.
“It is imperative that a roadmap to close this gap be completed expeditiously to bring certainty to sectors, industry and society as to how we will achieve our ambitions,” Professor Thorne said.Currently, the world is around 1.1 degrees warmer than pre-industrial times and is already experiencing impacts of the climate crisis such as heatwaves, droughts and melting ice sheets.
Transformational policies, measures and actions, and societal change are now required to meet the electricity sector’s carbon budget programme and sectoral emissions ceilings,” the plan states. The key targets are to decrease embodied carbon in construction materials by 10% and 30% by 2025 and 2030 respectively; reduce fossil fuel demand through energy efficiency measured by 7% and 10%; and to increase carbon-neutral heating to 50-55% and 70-75%.
Public transport plans include progressing the BusConnects, Dart+ and Cork Commuter Rail programmes and the Metrolink subject to approval from An Bord Pleanála.
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