Ireland faces huge costs to meet EU targets

IRELAND will face huge costs in meeting ambitious new EU targets on climate change and energy proposed by Brussels.

The new policy proposes cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, a switch to renewable energy away from fossil fuel and a cut in the amount of oil and gas used.

Ireland is one of the EU countries most reliant on imports of oil and gas to meet its energy needs, and is way above its current CO2 emissions target. It is also one of the countries that face greatest change from global warming with large parts in danger of being submerged under the rising sea and a shift in temperatures, especially between the west and east coasts.