Ireland faces huge costs to meet EU targets
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.
Ireland committed to keeping its CO2 emissions to no more than 13% of the 1990 level by 2012 but is currently close to 26% over the limit.
The Government intends buying €270 million worth of carbon emissions over the next five years as permitted under the existing Kyoto protocol.
However, environmentalists said this was likely to be much higher. MEP Proinsias De Rossa said it would be closer to €750 million.
This cost does not take into account the new EU proposals for all countries to further reduce their emissions by 20% by 2020 on the 1990 levels.
“It poses an enormous challenge to Europe and an even greater one for Ireland because of the gross negligence of our current Government,” he said.
Ireland will also be at a disadvantage given people’s reliance on private transport and since 70% of oil imports go on transport. The new policy proposes that 10% of vehicle fuel would come from bio fuels — crops that have been slow to take off in Ireland so far.
Another target is for 20% of energy needs to be met from renewables such as wind, biomass and tide. Compared to other countries such as Denmark that generates 20% of its electricity needs from wind, Ireland is less developed in this area.
Almost all the country’s electricity is generated from fossil fuels.
Mr De Rossa said Ireland should become a world leader in developing wind and wave energy and undertake an urgent independent feasibility study into proposals for a European-wide Supergrid by the Irish company Airtricity.
Green Party energy spokesman Eamon Ryan said the Government must tackle the issue of the ESB which maintains a near monopoly status in the supply of energy in Ireland as an EU report pointed out.
IBEC, representing business, said it welcomed the EU’s energy proposals but was concerned about a targeted reduction of 20% in emissions.
The director of Policy, Mr Danny McCoy, said the EU could not achieve the reduction in global warming alone and needed to involve the US, Australia, China and other emerging economies in a global strategy.
“Given Ireland’s peripheral location, small size and lack of significant indigenous resources the integration of policy across the EU will have clear benefits.”
He called on the Government to publish the White Paper on energy integrating the key components of EU policy while reflecting the country’s unique characteristics.
Environmental Minister Dick Roche said he was confident that Ireland would meet EU targets.
