EPA - Ireland's Environment 2016

Ireland’s Environment – An Assessment 2016

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Transition to a Low-Carbon Future

There is a pressing need to develop, implement

and monitor progress on measures to reduce GHG

emissions and deliver resource efficiency.

The national policy position for Climate Change establishes

a vision for Ireland of low-carbon transition based on an

aggregate reduction in carbon dioxide (CO

) emissions of

at least 80% (compared with 1990 levels) by 2050 across

the electricity generation, built environment and transport

sectors; and, in parallel, an approach to carbon neutrality

in the agriculture and land use sectors, including forestry,

that does not compromise capacity for sustainable food

production (Irl Gov, 2014).

Ambitious GHG mitigation plans with clear short‑term

and longer-term targets are needed in the key socio-

economic areas of energy, transport, buildings,

manufacturing, services and agriculture to get Ireland

on a clearly defined road to a low-carbon and resource-

efficient future (Figure 13.2). The Climate Action and Low

Carbon Development Act 2015 sets out the legislative

basis and timelines for the making of national and

sectoral mitigation plans as well as a National Adaptation

Framework plan, with the overall aim of reducing our GHG

emissions and moving towards a low-carbon and climate-

resilient future (Irl Gov, 2015). A key task will be to ensure

that robust and transparent monitoring systems are in

place to provide the evidence to track progress to targets

that have been set across different sectors.

Figure 13.2

Ireland’s Sources of Greenhouse Gas

Emissions in 2014

(Source: EPA)

However, a paradigm shift across society and the economy

is needed if Ireland is to successfully transition to a

carbon-neutral future in line with the policy ambition.

The emission reductions have to come from a broad base

that includes all sectors.

3 Based on National Sectoral Analysis

The most recent GHG emissions data for the Emissions

Trading Sector were released in early 2016 (EPA, 2016d).

The figures show that the Emissions Trading sector

increased its emissions. This increasing trend does not

look encouraging for meeting our national goal to

transition to a carbon neutral society and economy.

There is a need for stronger incentives to move away

from burning fossil fuels and in particular our ongoing

use of coal and peat to generate electricity. For wider

sectors of the economy and society not covered by

the ETS, which includes transport, agriculture, waste

and residential sectors, for the period 2014-2020

GHG emissions are projected to increase (EPA, 2016b).

Agriculture emissions are projected to increase by 6-7%

and transport is projected to increase by 10-16% on

2014 levels. Overall, total emissions are projected to be

between 6-11% below 2005 levels in 2020. The target is

a 20% reduction.

If Ireland takes a business as usual approach and does

not introduce new policy measures to speed up progress

to move away from fossil fuel we will end up having

to concentrate effort over a short timeframe to meet

targets which will be inefficient and high risk. In effect,

Ireland will need to reduce its GHG emissions to near

zero before the end of this century.

There is embodied carbon in all our production and

consumption cycles, specifically in relation to raw material

use. The significant levels of disposal income as well as

the construction boom up to 2007 put Ireland in the

bracket of being amongst the most resource inefficient

people in Europe (GDP per tonne of Domestic Material

Consumption). The last 5 years has seen a significant

improvement in resource productivity, the challenge is

to ensure that the current economic recovery does not

put us back to that period of unsustainable and carbon

intensive consumption. Businesses have been awakened

to the economic and competitive value of resource