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LAST UPDATE | 8 Dec 2021
THERE ARE MULTIPLE “critical gaps” between the climate policies that the government has endorsed and the actions that it is taking in practice, according to an independent panel of climate experts.
The Climate Change Advisory Council, which is tasked with advising the government on climate action and assessing Ireland’s progress, is concerned about missed targets and delayed measures inhibiting efforts to fight the climate crisis.
In its new annual review, published today, the council says that “despite positive steps, there are a number of critical gaps in implementation where our policy and ambition is not yet translating into the necessary action”.
It points to Ireland’s failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% under an EU target for 2020 and projections that Ireland will also fail to stay within a 2030 EU limit.
Even with the targets that were set out in the 2021 Climate Action Plan published last month, there is still a gap of 4 metric tonnes in emissions between how far they need to fall and how much they are expected to, the review says.
There needs to be “urgent action” to identify a solution to the shortfall and incorporate it into the next plan in 2022.
Additionally, Ireland has not yet published a long-term strategy and the Council is concerned about “potential higher cost implications of delay in long-term action”.
It warned that delays in reducing emissions now could require deeper and more expensive cuts further down the line.
The most recent Climate Action Plan that was published last month must be implemented fully and on time, it said.
Marie Donnelly, the council’s chair, said that “Ireland’s failure to meet its targets is due to not matching the ambition of plans with timely and complete delivery of actions”.
“For example, many of the measures in the original 2019 Climate Action Plan have been delayed,” Donnelly said.
The time-lag between policy development, implementation and actual emissions reduction means that unless Government takes action now, we will be unable to meet our targets in future years.
“The implementation of the carbon budgets published by the Council in October will be unachievable if this pattern within Irish climate policy is not overcome,” she said.
The Council says that implementing the Climate Action Plan is made more difficult because the detailed Annex of Actions coming out of the plan has not yet been published; the Annual Transition Statement for 2020 is overdue; and there is no long-term emissions reduction strategy.
Many measures that were in the 2019 Climate Action Plan have been delayed, especially in transport and heat, according to the review.
Adaptation
As part of its review, the council has released a scorecard that looks at progress, or lack thereof, that specific sectors have made on climate adaptation — that is, identifying the consequences of the climate crisis that are already happening or cannot be stopped and protecting people from them.
It found that some sectors are more prepared than others but said it was unable to give any area the highest score for adaptation progress under its ranking framework.
Flood risk management and water quality and water services infrastructure have put the most substantial adaptation plans in place and were ranked as having made “good progress”.
The local government, heritage, transport, and agriculture sectors were deemed to have made moderate progress.
However, the council found no progress in the health and communications networks sectors, as well as limited progress in the electricity and gas networks sector despite projected increases in demand for electricity.
There has also been limited progress in the biodiversity sector.
Donnelly said that climate change adaptation “will be vital in order to protect our environment and society against changes in extreme temperatures, droughts and intense rainfall events”.
“The council has found that some sectors are more prepared than others, but overall there remains a real need for more meaningful leadership and coordination regarding adaptation across Government,” she said.
“The council has been unable to give the highest score for adaptation progress to any sector.”
Ireland must work towards fully decarbonising energy industries to meet long-term emissions targets, the review says.
Using renewable resources like wind, solar, hydro and marine underpins efforts to reduce emissions both in the energy sector and in transport, buildings and industry.
Individuals, communities, farmers and businesses should receive support to become “renewable self-consumers” and to store and sell excess electricity at a level that matches its market value.
Security of supply is critical. Electricity demand is expected to increase, driven by large energy users and the electrification of heat and transport.
To ensure the transmission grid on and offshore can manage increasing amounts of renewable power, and that the grid can respond to growth in transport and heating demand, there needs to be “capital investment now in order to deliver the high level of renewable electricity foreseen by 2030, including investment in the grid itself and storage solutions”.
Speaking to The Journal, Dr Hannah Daly, a lecturer in energy systems at UCC, said that delays in legislation that would help turn the government’s policies into action is a problem.
“I think that there’s a lot of ambition but there is definitely inertia in getting a lot of the conditions that are needed for decarbonisation,” Dr Daly said.
“For example, the Marine Area Planning Bill has been under development for a very long time and it’s essential that bill is in place to attract off-shore wind investment and to streamline planning and licensing for offshore wind,” she said.
Offshore wind is an absolute cornerstone of our energy system’s decarbonisation strategy, but right now, it’s the delay in these key pieces of legislation which is a really big problem.
As well as decarbonising the energy system, “we’ll have to focus on alternatives, zero-carbon fuels, and also demand reduction – for example, making our towns and cities far less focused on private car use”.
“We’re only beginning to grapple with those skills of change and innovation and the societal change that’s needed there.”
As demand for dairy and beef stays strong internationally, market forces alone will not incentivise farmers to implement climate mitigation actions, the Council believes.
“Projections suggest that international market demand for dairy and beef will remain strong over the current decade and beyond,” the review outlines.
“Therefore, market forces alone are unlikely to provide the incentives to farmers to adopt mitigation actions, especially where those actions come at a cost to the farmer.”
“The low level of incomes in some sectors of Irish agriculture, limited access to capital, high age profile, an aversion to risk-taking, and a range of societal factors, all represent barriers to change that have to be overcome.
Instead, Ireland needs “strong policy incentives” that “recognise the diversity in the sector”.
In the long-term, other land uses like forestry, recreation, and peatland rewetting that can support biodiversity, flood protection and carbon sequestration should be considered.
The Climate Change Advisory Council has sent its review to Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan.
A spokesperson for the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications told The Journal that the council’s annual review “allows Government to adjust policy to address issues highlighted by the CCAC”.
“The Government agrees that we now need to build on recent positive steps, such as the implementation of the Climate Act and the publication of Climate Action Plan 2021 with a national focus on implementation,” the spokesperson said.
“The scale of the transition required affects every aspect of Government and we are working to build capacity across all departments to deliver on climate action.
They pointed to measures such as funding for public transport and retrofitting in the National Development Plan, offshore renewable energy projects, and the Dart+ programme that was approved yesterday.
“The government recognises the need for a renewed focus on adaptation, to deal with an increase in extreme weather events. Four Government-funded Climate Action Regional Offices are supporting all local authorities on adaptation at local level.”
“The report emphasises that it is important to acknowledge that the transition will have a cost and preparations will be required to reduce the impact on the most vulnerable. A Just Transition Commission will be established to support Government policy development in this area.”
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Solving the climate crisis and emissions is really about making the majority reduce their consumption through using less or paying more taxes so the elite can carry on as normal. If the govt or the world as a whole were serious then we would each have a carbon allowance, but how would that work, far easier to tax the lower income people on fuel for their cars,houses etc than ask the wealthy to stop flying private jets, driving cars that do 20mpg and leave a carbon footprint that’s massive compared to ordinary people.
If the ordinary car is such a threat, why are people being asked to go electric when to do so would either bankrupt them or mean they simply couldn’t afford a car. Its simply not going to happen unless somebody is making a fortune out of it.
@Rex Tilson: absolutely. A survey in the U.K. found that the top 15% of flyers took 70% of flights in that year (2014). Their Carbon costs are even higher because the top 15% fly more long haul and private jets. 50% of people didn’t fly that year but they did fly every second or third year.
Increasing carbon taxes would have little effect in any one year as it would penalise the people taking only 30% of the flights. Most of top 15% are rich enough to continue flying.
A voucher allowing one short haul return per person would massively reduce those flights while not affecting the bottom 85% of flyers who take one or none every year. Maybe corporations can have a few more vouchers. Otherwise – zoom.
At the very least we should ban private jets – are we all in this together or not.
There are chasms between Government words/plans and their actual actions, from health, education, infrastructure, etc decades of incompetence and cronyism.
The climate change advisory council?? Money for old rope for sure isn’t it. Anyway we the people soldier on. Chin up folks.
What’s telling for me, is the amount of rubish that comes outta the journal and all the other outlets singing from the same script. Money most be worth it, won’t last long.
Blah blah blah is right…..Go talk to the Chinese & American’s first
@Christopher Byrne: yep, and then we’ll be fed the same BS that the smallest countries must lead by example first.
according to the ESB data centres use 1/3 of the grids capacity. we bow to america all the time,,,banking crises, housing crises, homelessness, i think they global mind is changing and corporates with larger finances than countries are eventually gonna get reigned in. ofc we are gonna be the last to do it as usual. gombeen politics.
@Mick Heery: I understand that DC’s use a lot, but, do you have a link for the above claim of 1/3rd usage please?
The fact that Ireland has yet to switch to E10 petrol is very telling as to the seriousness of our climate strategy. Literally the lowest hanging fruit, it would remove the emissions equivalent of 100,000 cars off the road practically at the stroke of a pen. If we can’t do something that simple, I’m not sure we’re up to the more serious tasks..
Completely shutting down the import of UK car market totally contradicts govs emission fairytales since local consumer can not get a cleaner – newer car that falls under low co2 regulations from abroad (Since UK is the ONLY AND CLOSEST PLACE where wheel ks right-handed) leaving Irish motorists to use the old diesel engined cars since the car prices are sky high on the island.
The first thing that needs to happen is that people’s attitude needs to change so that they genuinely care and are motivated to make changes to support these goals..
I honestly believe that all the talk in this article will not make people care and threats will only make people do the opposite.
Governments here have a very poor track record on bringing people together as one Nation.
@Roger Bond: people’s attitudes will only change when they see politicians stop squandering billions on every single development they touch.
Start producing results. Not just throwing more taxes at people with no end result visible.
Personally I am more concerned about affording to put fuel in my car, getting appointments at hospital and paying my mortgage.
Regarding climate change I’m inclined to listen to someone who has seen it first hand & that’s David Attenborough, he has said due to climate change & it causing methane gas immissions there’s going to be at least 4/5 viruses per annum!
@Colette Kearns: Sir David frederick attenborough collette. Agree
“Climate Experts” … well. Looking through the history of mankind, the “Climate Experts” helped the society to deal with changes to the climate. They didn’t have computers or smartphones, but an open mind and common sense.
But now that we are in the days of “peoplekind”, our experts are more like the experts of the Aztecs. When the climate changed back in their days, their answer was to kill thousands in order to please their gods, so they’d stop the climate change.
I don’t want to hear another squeak about Planning for more big wind and solar, without first hearing all about the Planning for how they intend filling in the big intermittency gaps. Massive electrolysis plants here or there. Mega grid all over the place.
In reality though all this carbon account game, is just that, a silly game. The only way we will solve this problem is by fighting it as a Warming World War. We need the military industrial combines to stop making weapons and instead make thousands of new generation SMRs. and let the Australians make the fuel for them, instead of exporting vast quantities of coal.
More methane is already boiling out of the permafrost, than from a billion more cows. What the hell are we on about. If we could solve the problem by virtue signalling, it would be solved long ago.
@Nicholas Grubb: I agree…last night on Eirgrids dashboard there was nearly 4000MW of wind available but the grid could only absorb 2000MW so nearly 2000MW of wind power had to be turned off all night but the wind turbine owners still get paid for the curtailment.
have your say