Environment Minister Darragh O’Brien is set to bring this year’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) to Cabinet on Tuesday. The plan outlines the steps for 2025 aimed at helping Ireland achieve its goal of cutting carbon emissions by 51% by 2030, reports RTE.
A major focus is expected to be a renewed push for offshore wind energy, an area that has suffered setbacks following the withdrawal of some global developers.
Alongside the plan, the Government has committed to converting the coal-powered Moneypoint station in Kilrush, Co Clare, to operate on oil by the end of this year, reports RTE.
The 2025 CAP spans over 150 pages and was largely written before the current Coalition came into power.
An estimated €500 million will be allocated for retrofitting initiatives.
Out of this, €280 million will go toward the warmer homes scheme, which offers free energy upgrades to households vulnerable to fuel poverty, while €270 million will fund grants for homeowners looking to install upgrades such as heat pumps and solar energy systems, reports RTE.
In terms of transportation, plans include installing 170 new high-powered charging stations throughout the year.
For renewable energy, a third offshore wind energy auction is scheduled for 2025. The minister hopes this will open access to new development areas, helping Ireland move closer to its climate and renewable electricity objectives.
Still, earlier offshore wind projects have stalled as developers left, citing Ireland’s planning and regulatory systems as overly complex, reports RTE.
Minister O’Brien is expected to confirm to Cabinet that the switch at Moneypoint from coal to oil should be finished before the year ends. Although oil is still a fossil fuel, it is seen as less harmful than coal.
The original goal had been to cease all fossil fuel use at the Shannon Estuary site by this year, but that plan was postponed to avoid risks of electricity shortages, reports RTE.
Opposition parties and environmental advocates will closely review the CAP to see if any previously made promises or goals have been diluted.
They also plan to scrutinize whether the measures proposed in the plan are sufficient to meet Ireland’s legally binding emissions targets, reports RTE.
The Environmental Protection Agency has said it believes Ireland is on track to miss its climate goals—even if every current policy is fully carried out.
The Government maintains that the CAP aligns with carbon budgets and sectoral emissions caps agreed upon in July 2022, which are legally binding across the economy, reports RTE.
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