Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

310 Chapter 12: Environment and Energy Looking ahead, the changes that are needed in Ireland’s energy system are becoming increasingly clear. Volume 2 of Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment (ICCA), Achieving Climate Neutrality by 2050 (McGookin et al. , 2023), highlights that well-established ‘no-regret options’ can significantly move Ireland’s energy decarbonisation forward and need to be implemented now. These include demand reduction (e.g. through energy efficiency and reduced consumption), electrification (e.g. electric vehicles and heat pumps), deployment of market-ready renewables (e.g. wind and solar power) and low-carbon heating options (e.g. district heating). According to the ICCA report, however, there remains uncertainty regarding the full scale and mix of specific future technologies to help bring the sector to net zero emissions. Alternatives such as bioenergy, other renewables and hydrogen will be needed in sectors not currently suited to electrification, such as heavy transport and industry, and to balance a grid based on variable renewable electricity technologies. These require further investigation. The ICCA report also highlights that renewables open up opportunities in the green economy, including for coastal communities and farmers, and that distributed energy enables homeowners to be producers of energy, lowering energy bills. The energy transition requires consideration of issues beyond technical aspects, including environmental, societal, economic and governance dimensions. The ICCA report identifies the need for an enhanced regulatory and planning framework to accelerate the deployment of renewables, realise co-benefits and manage trade-offs, competition and impacts on other land uses, including biodiversity, food production and carbon sequestration. In summary, the pathways to achieving a net zero energy system involve many elements (Figure 12.1) Figure 12.1  Pathways to a net zero energy system Policy Mindset Think with a Net Zero Mindset Pathways to a Net Zero Energy System Ensure Co-benefits Energy Affordability, Air Quality, Employment Long-term Stable Policy Policy gives certainty. Certainty lowers costs Decarbonised Gas Develop the role of Biogas and Hydrogen in the Economy Carbon Capture Carbon Capture required for industry and power Negative Emissions Explore use of BECCS and options for negative emissions Renewables in Freight Sustainable Bio liquids for heavy transport EVs in Private Transport Increased deployment of EVs and Light Goods Vehicles Renewable Deployment Significant deployment of Onshore and Offshore wind Energy Efficiency Reduce and decarbonise industrial and home heat BECCS, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage Source: Adapted from McGookin et al. , 2023