Ireland will need to phase out the use of harmful fossil fuels by 2039 if the country is to meet climate targets, the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) has said.
The climate watchdog has today (Thursday, December 12) published its proposed carbon budgets to 2040 which sets out overall indicative emission reductions of 67%.
In order to achieve this, the council said that Ireland will need an annual reduction of at least 6.3% on average year on year to 2040.
The council said that a “crucial step” in reaching these reductions will stopping the use of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas.
The CCAC warned that if these emissions reductions are not achieved “there will be profound costs to the Irish economy and to the people of Ireland”.
CCAC
The CCAC said Ireland has not risen to meet its climate change challenges and is currently set to miss its agreed carbon budget to 2030, relative to 2018 levels.
The independent advisory body said that “an urgent response to the crisis is required, which will see the most significant change since the foundation of the State”.
The council said that the impact of climate change continues to increase across the country with flooding, droughts and coastal damage, “which is already having significant and costly consequences for people, communities and nature”.
As discussions on government formation continue, the CCAC said that “strong political leadership” is required as the “transition will be highly disruptive”.
The council said that the new government will have to make “necessary investment, taxation and policy decisions”.
Carbon budgets
Marie Donnelly, chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council, acknowledged that the proposed changes in the carbon budgets will pose a challenge.
“The carbon budgets proposed by council set out a challenging but necessary pathway for Ireland to achieve a climate-neutral and biodiversity rich society before 2050, where Ireland no longer contributes to the increase in global temperatures.
“While the transition will bring significant political and social challenges, it presents us with an opportunity to achieve a more sustainable society, a cleaner environment with improved health and well-being for all of our citizens.
“A crucial step to help achieve this is for government to prioritise investment and resources, now, by phasing out harmful fossil fuels as early as 2039 and saving people and businesses money.
“This will help Ireland avoid future fines and compliance costs, provide the opportunity to deliver energy independence, reduce costs and help to maintain our competitive economy in a low carbon world, while building greater resilience to the impacts of climate change,” she said.
Donnelly said that the process of change must be carefully managed in a way that ensures potential impacts on people, communities and nature are properly addressed.
She said that this will require “inclusive decision-making and engagement with stakeholders, with lead government departments, state agencies, semi-state companies and local authorities”.
“Mobilising financial supports, quickly, will help people and households, in both urban and rural communities, as well as the most impacted sectors, take action at the speed and scale required.
“We also need to see the upskilling of people and businesses for new technologies and practices, while reskilling those sectors that are most impacted,” she said.
“To deliver an equitable and just transition we need fully aligned with the achievement of the National Climate Objective.
Professor Peter Thorne, CCAC member, said that the council has considered the most recent scientific evidence as the basis for the proposed carbon budgets from 2031 to 2040.
“The council’s carbon budget proposal does not take account of any exceedance in emissions that may occur between now and 2030.
“If emissions exceed the agreed carbon budget, then the exceedance must be deducted from the next carbon budget,” he said.