A backlog of unfulfilled climate action commitments has built up, with just 10 out of 74 delayed measures promised in previous years being completed in 2026 to date.
The measures were among those set out mainly in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 national climate action plans, but they were not delivered.
This year, the annual climate action plan is delayed. The Department of Climate says a draft of the 2026 document will be published “later this year”.
Delayed or “legacy” measures, as the Government calls them in its latest progress report, are damaging in several ways, the report says.
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“These delays threaten Ireland’s ability to meet binding emissions reduction targets and risk increasing future climate changes, compliance costs, and reputational harm,” it says.
Some have national implications. New planning guidelines for the development of onshore wind farms are needed to update regulations on noise, setback distances, shadow flicker and the creation and distribution of community-benefit funds.
They were drawn up in 2017, and implementation was to happen during the lifetime of the 2019 climate action plan, but despite this being restated in plans since, they have not yet been formalised.
Some delays affect individual cities. Galway was to have a metropolitan area transport strategy created by the end of 2024 to guide the development of sustainable transport systems and reduce car dependency.
In its absence, the controversial Galway ring road has been approved, and Ministers intend treating it as critical infrastructure to fast-track its construction.
Other delays have a more local impact. Longford was to have two electric buses to serve local link routes by the end of last year, but the vehicles bought by the National Transport Authority so far are designed only for urban routes.
“The chassis design on urban buses does not support the installation of seat belts which are mandatory for all rural services,” notes the progress report.
Delays are also reported in the installation of electric vehicle charging points at sports clubs; 225 were to be installed at 131 clubs by the end of last year. The report indicates one site is live.
It also notes a commitment to install charging points at 60-80 other locations under an EU just transition scheme not pursued. The funding was returned to the scheme.
Other legacy actions include identifying areas suitable for district heating – centralised sources of renewable heating that avoid households and businesses each having to install individual electric heat pumps.
Regional renewable energy plans are also behind schedule. They are meant to share the hosting of wind and solar parks more evenly countrywide and ensure projects are not hampered by differing policies in adjoining counties.
A levy on single-use disposable beverage cups was supposed to be in place by the end of 2024, but it remains only one of “potential policy measures” to be considered.
The update comes as global warming causes extreme weather across Europe, amid warnings from the Environmental Protection Agency and Climate Change Advisory Council that Ireland will not fulfil its EU or national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was “a clear reminder that we must move faster”.
Minister for Climate Darragh O’Brien added: “There is no room for delay ... I will work closely with colleagues across Government to remove barriers to implementation and to ensure we deliver on our commitments.”
O’Brien’s department said a public consultation on the 2026 climate action plan was open until August 17th “with publication of the draft plan expected later this year”.
