Ireland’s switch to renewable energy sources has “stagnated”, according to a new report by the Central Bank which also suggests the State is struggling to rein in emissions from agriculture or get the necessary uptake in electric vehicles (EVs).
The regulator’s latest Climate Observatory report, which provides an update of climate-related metrics for the Irish economy and financial sector, indicates Ireland will struggle to meet its 2030 climate targets without a big push in several areas.
By global standards, it said Ireland remained an emissions-intensive economy (among the top 30 global emitters on a per capita basis). The State’s emissions per capita were found to be almost 60 per cent higher than the EU average in 2022.
The latter reflected the relatively high levels of agricultural activity. In contrast to most other EU member states, agriculture accounted for the largest share of national emissions (32 per cent), followed by transport, households and energy supply.
Some 75 per cent of agricultural emissions in 2023 were connected to livestock (enteric fermentation and manure management). Unlike other high-emitting sectors, it noted that agricultural emissions were projected to increase between 2023 and 2030, by 11 per cent.
The report also highlighted that while emissions from the energy sector (or power generation) were more than a third down on where they were a decade earlier thanks to the increased use of renewables, the share of renewables in the State’s energy mix had remained “stagnant” since 2020.
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Campaigners say wind energy projects are struggling to get over the line because of planning delays and objections. According to environmental group Wind Energy Ireland, just one wind farm secured planning approval from An Bord Pleanála in the third quarter of last year.
The Central Bank’s report noted that the Government’s Climate Action Plan aimed for 845,000 private EVs on Irish roads by 2030 but that monthly data showed that EV licensing had declined by 24 per cent in the first 10 months of 2024 compared with 2023.
The slump in EV sales has been linked to the costs of running an electric car combined with other factors such as resale value and range anxiety.
“While Ireland has made progress on reducing emissions and progressing on several targets, there is a significant need to intensify activities to address climate change,” the Central Bank said.
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