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

Chapter 12: The Environment and Energy Chapter Highlights for Environment and Energy Almost 90 per cent of Ireland’s total energy use is provided by combustion of, mostly imported, fossil fuels. This is not sustainable. The resultant emissions are damaging for our health and our environment and continue to drive climate change. To transform this situation, we need to start fast-tracking the measures in the Climate Action Plan and other necessary solutions. Strategic planning is required to transform this situation by 2050, including accelerated actions to 2030. Transitioning to a clean energy future is essential for the protection of human health, climate and the environment, while having many benefits for sustainable development. The investment and implementation of currently available solutions to enhance efficiency and utilise Ireland’s renewable energy potential needs to be urgently rolled out. Current fossil carbon lock-ins in electricity generation, but particularly in buildings and transport, need to be assessed, quantified and managed as part of the rapid transition away from these energy sources. Such a transition will require effective frameworks for investment. The redirection of fossil fuel subsidies can contribute to this process. 323