Catch up on No New Gas - October 2020

We have 10 years to radically transform our energy system. Cutting our ties with fossil fuels to lower emissions and enable cleaner energy solutions is vital.

Through our work on the No New Gas campaign we have been busy doing extensive research and issuing submissions to European consultations to keep the pressure on decision makers to end fossil fuel dependency.

The recent Programme for Government promised to end new licenses for offshore gas exploration and ban the importation of fracked gas – putting an end to plans for LNG terminals on the west coast of Ireland (LNG is Liquefied Natural Gas imported from the USA). However, we are still waiting on a policy statement to turn that promise into real policy.  In July, together with other campaign groups, we co-created a briefing document to explain why we urgently need this policy statement, you can read that briefing here at this link.

In a report we published recently, we found that the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), Gas Networks Ireland (GNI) and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) are undermining Irish and international climate targets. The mandates allow for continued and increasing investment in fossil gas infrastructure. Their current investment plans seek to expand fossil fuel infrastructure and continue to subsidise fossil gas investment and usage. These plans are likely to ‘lock-in’ carbon intensive high emissions and undermine investment in energy conservation and renewable generation.

In an effort to expose these mandates, Friends of the Earth issued a press release  that got media attention and made some recommendations. As a result of our advocacy efforts, we will be meeting the ESB over the coming months to speak with them about our findings.

Recent Submissions:

• Submitted to the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities Consultation on Gas Networks Ireland Ten Year Development Plan - you can read our submission here.
• Together with Stop Climate Chaos we made a submission to a very important European Consultation on energy, pushing for an end to the prioritisation of financial support for fossil gas projects like Shannon LNG. Here you can read the press release and submission.