In response to a glaring emissions deficit equating to 26 million tonnes of CO2, the UK Government has had to enforce various measures. These efforts are crucial if the country is to have any hope of meeting its legally established climate objectives during the period from 2026 to 2030. The government incorporated these resolutions into the 2024 climate action strategy, which got the Cabinet’s approval last Tuesday.
The current projected “compliance costs” for failing to achieve the 2030 targets range from £3 billion to £8 billion. This discrepancy hinges heavily on carbon pricing. Primary supplementary measures encompass the expansion of rail freight connected to ports, a surge in heat pump installation in buildings, the development of green hydrogen capacity, increasing use of low-carbon feeds in farming, investment in extra power interconnectors between the UK and other nations, and ensuring greater accessibility of “long duration battery storage” paired with wind and solar energy input to the grid.
Carbon capture and storage technology will be implemented in cement production and incineration, with expectations to curtail emissions by 500,000 tonnes of CO2. Climate Minister Eamon Ryan expressed confidence in the feasibility of these measures, labelling them “challenging but achievable”.
The climate plan underwent public consultation in January. However, the final version does not encompass a farmer diversification scheme suggested by the industry through the Government-appointed Food Vision Dairy Group. Initially, this proposal was meant to include support for a cow cull, but due to delivery difficulties, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue dismissed it, according to Mr Ryan.
Additional actions that haven’t yet been included in verifiable emission reductions entail a national biomethane strategy and legislation empowering the launch of district heating plans, both due for government review soon. The Dublin City Council is in the process of finalising a pact related to the latter with a partner. The scheme will be piloted in Dublin’s docklands, using excess heat from the Covanta waste-to-energy incinerator in Ringsend and piping it to adjacent housing.
According to the climate action plan, it is projected that a combination of measures would result in a 42% reduction in emissions by the year 2030. However, to achieve Ireland’s goal of reducing emissions by 51%, it is necessary for specific measures to be identified by government-appointed taskforces on transport and sustainable mobility, heat and the built environment, and agriculture.
Mr. Ryan pointed out that the failure to achieve the carbon budget target – a 4.8% emissions reduction per year over the 2021-2015 period – needs to be recognised. However, he also expressed optimism about the likely approval of a significant 5% improvement in 2023.
In the coming weeks, the EPA is expected to update emission projections. The most recent data from the EPA showed a slight reduction of nearly 2% in Ireland’s emissions from 2021 to 2022. This reduction was across the sectors of agriculture, industry, energy and residential, despite the growing economy and population.
Ireland’s revised national and energy climate plan will soon be presented to the Cabinet, delineating the country’s revised ‘National Declared Contribution’ to the EU’s decarbonisation efforts. Additionally, Mr. Ryan is set to present the latest scientific findings concerning climate tipping points that pose a specific threat to Ireland. He stressed the urgency of the current decade for climate action, highlighting the severe regional and global risks associated with tipping points including the loss of ice sheets, ocean current shutdown, and a warming and wetter climate in Ireland.
Mr. Ryan emphasised that achieving the full array of targets is the most economically viable option in the long-term. He urged for prompt enactment of the measures detailed in the climate action plan and renewed commitment from the government and society.