Ireland has climbed 14 places from last year on the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), which monitors climate mitigation efforts of 63 countries and the EU, and now ranks 29th.
The latest index report states that Ireland received a “medium” rating in renewable energy, energy use, and climate policy, but a “low” in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK, the Philippines, Morocco and Norway scored the highest ranking respectively. The six countries ranking last in order are Canada, Korea, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.
However, no country performs well enough in all index categories to achieve an overall “very high” rating, and therefore, the first three overall positions remain empty. The countries monitored in the report account for more than 90% of global GHG emissions.
The report states that even if all countries were as committed as the current frontrunners, efforts would still be insufficient to prevent hazardous climate change.
Even in high-ranking countries, greater efforts and actions by governments are needed to set the world on track to keep global warming well below a 2° increase, or even better, 1.5°, according to the report.
Ireland’s climate performance
In 2022, the Irish government introduced legally binding, five-year carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings, and resolved a legislative framework with annually revised Climate Action Plans.
Despite these legal requirements, which align with Ireland’s 2030 net emissions reduction target of 51%, compared with 2018 levels, and net zero by 2050, CCPI national experts said that policy implementation “remains problematic”.
The report notes that recent projections by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicate that while a 6.8% drop in emissions in 2023 brought Ireland closer to achieving its first carbon budget, it is unlikely to meet its second carbon budget in 2026–2030.
It added that “divisions” have emerged in the coalition government ahead of the General Election on Friday, November 29, and there has been a “clear unwillingness to take effective action” for reducing GHG emissions at this stage in the electoral cycle.
According to the index report, at the international level, Ireland is a “strong performer” in climate finance, especially in loss and damage. However, the report lists the following key demands:
- Enforce Ireland’s national mitigation policies to limit total carbon combustion in the energy sector;
- Limit total nitrogen use in the agricultural sector; and
- Limit deforestation in line with existing and legally binding five-year carbon budgets by 2030.
The experts also reported that Ireland’s solar capacity has almost doubled in one year because of a surge in utility-scale solar projects and a significant rise in small and domestic rooftop solar.
The report also indicates an “urgent need” for port infrastructure and grid strengthening to ensure medium-to-long-term offshore wind expansion and heating and transport electrification.
“Coupled with low levels of battery storage and ongoing gas connections, the state is set to remain greatly dependent on fossil fuel generation,” according to the report, which added that retrofits are expanding rapidly, however, not on the scale required.
The experts also report that data centers now account for over 20% of electricity demand and could rise to 30% by 2030, with their increasing demand outstripping the development of new renewables and threatening the carbon footprint.