Climate Action Plan fails to put the brakes on pollution and fossil fuels

Plan does not prevent reliance on fossil fuels, particularly data centres and LNG, or bring Ireland into line with binding pollution limits.

Friends of the Earth has provided its initial reaction to the Government’s new Climate Action Plan [1] which was approved by cabinet today (15 April). 

Commenting on the Plan, Seán McLoughlin, Climate Policy Campaigner for Friends of the Earth Ireland said:

"The 2025 Climate Action Plan does not put Ireland on a clear path to meeting climate obligations, despite the Government’s re-stating of its commitment to meeting legally binding carbon budgets [2]. It largely ignores the twin elephants in the room: runaway data centre expansion and escalating reliance on fossil fuel infrastructure, particularly gas. It does not take the steps necessary to bring Ireland into line with binding climate limits and appears to allow more polluting infrastructure."

“Despite the Programme for Government’s pledge to develop data centres “in alignment with our decarbonisation objectives”, this plan fails to lay out a credible path towards curbing their runaway growth in electricity demand. The Government must respond to the fact that the continued expansion of data centres is threatening our carbon budgets, driving up household energy bills and increasing reliance on fossil fuels, leading to rising emissions, while households and communities work hard to reduce theirs. The Government should halt the approval of additional data centres until an appropriate policy regime is introduced to address the significant threats they pose to our climate and energy security.”

“The Plan also states that the upcoming data centre connection policy will decarbonise “new demand in line with climate targets”. Yet the energy regulator in its recent proposed decision on this very policy has contended that the Climate Act does not provide it with “a sufficient legal basis” to mandate emissions reductions.”

Aaron Downey, Energy Poverty Campaign Lead for Friends of the Earth Ireland said:

“The commitments to bring forward an Energy Poverty Action Plan and to transpose the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive will now need to be rigorously implemented. But the Government must also go further - we need to end the scandal of cold, energy-leaking homes. Fair action towards meeting our climate obligations must mean supporting the bill, brought forward in Dáil last week, which seeks to introduce minimum BER standards for rental properties. We can no longer leave thousands of tenants footing extortionate bills to heat damp, energy-leaking homes - while landlords face no obligation, and limited guidance, to invest in essential energy upgrades. The Government also needs to urgently step up its ambition for retrofitting public housing and fund local authorities appropriately on a multi-year basis to do so.”

Jerry Mac Evilly, Campaigns Director for Friends of the Earth said: 

“The Programme for Government produced in January includes major commitments to sharply cut dependence on costly, polluting fossil fuels. The Climate Action Plan rightly puts forward a renewables-led system to radically reduce electricity emissions and protect energy security. But renewables roll-out can only be part of the solution. The Government must also produce clear policies and new obligations on state bodies to equitably phase out fossil fuels and associated infrastructure. Yet the new Plan does not put forward a clear trajectory to prevent further reliance on expensive polluting gas, oil and coal. Indeed, the first substantive energy decision of this Government was to greenlight plans for a costly state-owned Liquefied Natural Gas terminal and to leave the door open to a dangerous commercial development”.

Notes:

[1] The Climate Action Plan 2025 can be read and downloaded here.

[2] The new Programme for Government reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to the climate law and emissions limits. EPA analysis notes that Ireland is not on track to meet its 2025 and 2030 emissions targets. By law, the Minister must outline corrective actions in the Climate Action Plan. 

[3] https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/consumers-energy-bills-set-to-rise-further-as-more-data-centres-will-add-to-costs/a633724800.html 

[4] The Programme for Government contains significant commitments to take “decision action to radically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and to achieve a 51% reduction in emissions from 2018 to 2030, and to achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050.” It also pledges to “transition away from expensive imported fossil fuels”. https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-taoiseach/publications/programme-for-government-2025-securing-irelands-future/