'We are turning the ship' on emissions targets — Eamon Ryan 

Environment Minister Eamon Ryan: 'We also need stronger political commitment to climate action at all levels — in local politics, at a national level and in Europe.' Picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

Projections from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that Ireland will fall far short of emissions reduction targets by 2030 make "sobering reading" and justify more "urgent action", Eamon Ryan has said.

The Environment Minister was reacting to the EPA's latest assessment that shows Ireland will achieve a reduction of 29% in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to a target of 51%, even with all future planned measures put in place, such as nearly one million electric vehicles and food additives in cattle food to mitigate potent methane.

All sectors except buildings such as homes will overshoot their ceiling on the so-called carbon budgets, including agriculture, transport, industry, and electricity, the EPA said.

Mr Ryan insisted it was "not all negative" despite the sobering reading.

He said: "While the 29% projection is not where we need to be, it does indicate that we are turning the ship around and that we are going in the right direction. 

The projections must be seen as an incentive now to act even more urgently. We need to be much faster and more ambitious, particularly in how projects get through the planning system. 

"We also need stronger political commitment to climate action at all levels — in local politics, at a national level and in Europe."

Friends of the Earth (FOE) described the EPA projections as "the kick in the backside the Government needs” to take the climate crisis more seriously.

FOE's Oisín Coghlan said: "This Government has been good at setting targets and making plans but far too slow and timid at delivering practical action on the ground to cut emissions. 

"Four years ago the Dáil declared a climate and biodiversity emergency on a cross-party basis. But the Government is still not acting like they actually believe this is an emergency.

"The Government needs to call an immediate halt to the uncontrolled growth of data centres, which threaten to blow our carbon budgets on their own. 

We need the immediate shift of road space from cars to buses, bicycles, and pedestrians. We need to stop putting new gas boilers into our homes and we need to stop building them all with cement rather than timber."

The Climate Change Advisory Council said the EPA figures "lays bare the scale of the challenge that Ireland faces if we are to remain within our carbon budgets". 

Growth in our population and the economy is very positive but it must take place in a way that decouples this growth from emissions, it warned.

Chair Marie Donnelly added: "Actions that will have an immediate impact include acceleration of the rollout of solar power on commercial and public-sector buildings, rapid increase of the use of newer fertilisers in agriculture, and a continued reduction in public transport fares to support a modal shift and behavioural change."

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