HSE in danger of missing legally binding Climate Action Plan targets 

The HSE said it remains committed to achieving net zero energy-related emissions by 2050. File picture 

The HSE is in danger of missing legally binding targets for energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by almost a decade, according to an internal audit report.

An audit of the HSE’s strategic blueprint for net zero emissions by 2050 said there was a significant risk that the HSE may not achieve its current targets based on current projections.

It warned that the failure to comply with all provisions of the Climate Action Plan could result in the HSE “facing significant risks in the future in the form of financial penalties, reputational damage, and potential legal challenges from environmental groups or other stakeholders".

The audit highlighted how legally binding public sector targets, which require it to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030, may not be reached until closer to 2040.

The HSE accounts for about 20% of all energy consumption by the public sector.

The audit of the HSE’s infrastructure decarbonisation roadmap observed that the scale and complexity of the HSE’s capital estate of 2,500 sites and 4,500 buildings make energy efficiency and building fabric upgrades challenging.

It claimed underlying factors contributing to the risk include a range of structural and external constraints, including a number outside the control of the HSE, such as the decarbonisation of the national electricity grid and the availability of suitably qualified construction labour and expertise.

HSE auditors said uncertainty over long-term capital funding also remains a critical risk factor.

Overall, the audit found the level of assurance that the control framework in place for implementing the decarbonisation roadmap is “limited”.

It revealed that the HSE had achieved a 20% reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions by 2023, but only 12.3% when the grid effect was removed.

The HSE also attained a 34.1% improvement in energy efficiency performance by 2023 towards its target of a 50% improvement by 2030.

The HSE said it remains committed to achieving net zero energy-related emissions by 2050.

The audit, which was released under Freedom of Information legislation, acknowledged that significant reductions in actual energy use have been achieved at a time when HSE activity has increased.

It revealed that the HSE’s spending on heat, power, and light in properties it controls has risen by almost €50m between 2020 and 2024 — an increase of 77%.

However, it showed that the HSE does not have data on energy consumption for Section 38 and Section 39 voluntary organisations that provide healthcare services funded by the HSE.

While such bodies are responsible for ensuring their own compliance with climate action legislation, the report said the absence of such data hindered the HSE’s ability to accurately assess sustainability performance and to benchmark energy usage.

The HSE accepted a number of recommendations made by its internal auditors, including preparing a report containing feasible supplementary actions to reduce the projected gap to mandated targets as far as possible.