Government must focus on families to drive down energy usage, expert says

Senior research fellow in clean energy futures at the UCC-based MaREI centre for energy, climate and marine research, Dr Paul Deane, said: "We have large potential to generate clean electricity in Ireland." Picture: Larry Cummins

The government will need to focus more on families who use electricity rather than the firms who produce it if ambitious climate change targets are to be achieved.

That's according to one of Ireland's foremost energy experts, who was speaking following the publication of the Climate Change Advisory Council's (CCAC) first two 'carbon budgets', covering periods from 2021 to 2025 and 2026 to 2030.

Senior research fellow in clean energy futures at the UCC-based MaREI centre for energy, climate and marine research, Dr Paul Deane, said families would have to be central to government policy in decarbonisation if the budgets are to work.

The first budget for the period 2021-2025 aims to reduce emissions by 4.8% on average annually for five years, while the second from 2026-2030 will look to up that annual cut to 8.3%.

The carbon budgets include all greenhouse gases and allocate emissions ceilings to the likes of motorists, households, farmers, businesses, and industry.

Dr Deane said: "We have large potential to generate clean electricity in Ireland, but we must remember that 80% of emissions are from things that don’t use electricity today such as cars, oil boilers, etc, or can’t use electricity, such as land and livestock.

"The targets will require government to place more focus on families who use energy rather than firms who produce it and must provide stronger financial incentives to purchase clean heating systems and retrofits."

The CCAC said in its technical report accompanying the carbon budgets that Ireland is heavily dependent on fossil fuels to meet energy needs, accounting for 89% of energy supply in 2018, compared to 71% across the EU.

"Decarbonisation of the electricity sectors is the foundation for the decarbonisation of other sectors such as heat and transport," the report said.

The necessary legislation that enables planning and licensing for this kind of development, especially for offshore wind, is yet to be adopted by the Oireachtas.

Head of sustainability at EY Ireland, Stephen Prendiville, said that carbon budgets have been deployed successfully in other countries and are a "proven tool" in reducing emissions.

"In the first carbon budget announced, covering this year and the next four years, we have most likely just in the range of 235m tonnes of carbon allowances left, which means that on average, we need to reduce our emissions to 59mn tonnes per annum from the pre-pandemic levels of 67.5m tonnes. 

"In of itself this will require our entire population putting their shoulder to the wheel," he said.

It is the second budget to 2030 where we will see fundamental changes to how we live our daily lives, Mr Prendiville said.

"Setting the trajectory where in 2030 we produce just 33m tonnes or so of carbon per annum, and putting in place the policies and actions to achieve this, will prove a test of our collective resolve."

The carbon budgets as outlined by the CCAC have now been forwarded to Environment Minister Eamon Ryan. 

Once the proposal has been adopted by the Government and the Oireachtas, Mr Ryan will prepare individual emissions ceilings for each sector of the economy.