EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Chapter 12: The Environment and Energy of Ireland, 2017) and the Climate Action Plan (Government of Ireland, 2019), which contain a series of actions to reduce GHG emissions and include an assessment of how effective carbon pricing will contribute to the required energy transition. Ireland has specific energy targets under the 2020 climate and energy package (EC, 2009). This sets out targets for the share of energy from renewable sources being consumed and used in transport by 2020. The share of renewable energy use in electricity and heating is determined nationally. The Renewable Energy Share (RES) target includes subsidiary targets for electricity (RES-E), transport (RES-T) and heat (RES-H). The overall RES target for 2020 is 16 per cent. The subsidiary targets are 40 per cent, 10 per cent and 12 per cent for RES-E, RES-T and RES-H, respectively. Currently, Ireland is not on track to achieve these targets, with RES-E at 33 per cent, RES-T at 7.4 per cent and RES-H at 6.5 per cent in 2018, with the contribution from renewable energy to final energy consumption at 11.0 per cent (SEAI, 2019a). Topic Box 12.1 National Energy and Climate Plan 2021-2030 Ireland’s National Energy and Climate Plan 2021-2030 (NECP) 3 published in 2020, recognises the need for a rapid transition to a net zero-carbon energy system. It outlines the policy goals to facilitate an energy transition to a low carbon energy system, providing secure supplies of competitive energy to citizens. The objectives of the NECP are framed by the EU net-zero target for 2050 and outlined according to the key dimensions of the EU Energy Union. They are articulated under the following headings: decarbonisation, energy efficiency, energy security, the energy market and research, innovation and competitiveness. The objectives include: Decarbonisation: GHG Emissions and Removals n Reduce emissions from sectors outside the EU’s Emissions Trading System by 30 per cent (relative to 2005 levels) by 2030. Decarbonisation: Renewable Energy n Achieve a 34 per cent share of renewable energy in energy consumption by 2030. n Increase electricity generated from renewable sources to 70 per cent with at least 3.5 GW coming from offshore renewable energy, up to 1.5 GW coming from grid scale solar energy and up to 8.2 GW coming from onshore wind capacity. Energy Efficiency n Contribute towards the EU target of achieving at least a 32.5 per cent improvement in energy efficiency by 2030 and the aims established under the Energy Efficiency Directive. Energy security n Maintain the security of Ireland’s energy system in the most cost-effective manner. Internal energy market n Deepen the integration of Ireland’s wholesale electricity market, and its regulation, with the EU internal energy market. n Develop further interconnection to facilitate Ireland’s 2030 target of 70 per cent renewable electricity. n Further align Ireland’s retail electricity market with the EU internal energy market. n Support customers’ participation in the energy system, enabling them to sell excess electricity they have produced back to the grid. Research, innovation and competitiveness n Ensure that the best scientific evidence and advice is available to underpin government policy and support the policies and measures in Ireland’s NECP. n Develop and deploy new low-emissions technologies in the coming years. 3 https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/0015c-irelands-national-energy- climate-plan-2021-2030/ After 2020, Ireland will establish revised targets that are aligned with its national contribution to achievement of the EU-wide targets of at least a 32 per cent share for renewable energy and at least a 32.5 per cent improvement in energy efficiency. Under the Climate Action Plan (Government of Ireland, 2019), a target of 70 per cent for renewable electricity has been established for 2030. The level of national ambition is outlined in the 2020 National Energy and Climate Plan (Topic Box 12.1). 307