NESC report calls for more joined up thinking to meet Ireland’s climate and energy targets – Read Now.
- There is limited shared understanding or common vision for Ireland’s future energy system and how we get there.
- Multiple plans and strategies for energy mean some elements are neglected, while in other cases, opportunities to achieve more with the available energy solutions are missed.
- Recognising connections across the energy system will open up greater benefits, reduce inconsistent approaches and accelerate a faster transition with public support.
20th February 2025, Dublin, Ireland:
To avoid dangerous climate change, a major transformation of the energy system is required to urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, despite the many plans and strategies in place, Ireland is not on track to meet its climate and energy targets. A fragmented approach to energy policy is leading to tensions across the energy system and missed opportunities. Ireland’s approach to the energy transition must examine and address the complexity of the energy system in new ways in order to achieve our environmental, social and economic goals.
This is the key message in a new report from the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) which examines the energy transition across heat, transport and electricity. It uses innovative systems analysis tools to integrate insights from a range of disciplines and various stakeholders on the key drivers and constraints on energy transition in Ireland.
“The energy transition is a multifaceted challenge and opportunity,” said Gemma O’Reilly, Policy Analyst at NESC. “If we pay more attention to the connections between energy solutions in heat, transport and electricity, the energy transition can create more benefits for people, business and communities, such as enhanced affordability, increased resilience to extreme events and better environmental outcomes.”
NESC worked with over 50 stakeholders, through a series of meetings and innovative policy workshops over the course of its research. These discussions highlighted that while efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are underway, it is all happening in silos. There is a limited common understanding of the transition already underway, or a shared vision of what success looks like. As a result there is a risk of missing opportunities for synergies and additional benefits, slowing down the transition and undermining public support for the energy transition.
The Council’s latest report applies innovative new approaches to understanding the energy transition, examining how different elements interact in ways that are not typically recognised or addressed. The report calls for a Cross Government Energy Framework to set a joint approach for transforming electricity, heat and transport together. The Framework should include a vision for a successful future energy system that is independent from fossil fuels, while achieving social and economic objectives and respecting broader planetary boundaries.
With limited time and resources, prioritisation is key. Transforming the energy system is not just about switching from fossil fuels to renewables. For a more affordable and sustainable energy system, the Council emphasised that managing the timing and location of both the supply and consumption of energy will have increased importance, as well as managing energy demand levels. The Council also recognises that resilience to extreme events is a greater concern for households following Storm Éowyn and this should be part of efforts to retrofit buildings and deploy microgeneration.
Gemma O’Reilly, Policy Analyst at NESC, added: “The diversity of approaches across the energy sector creates uncertainty for investors leading to increased costs. It also reduces support among the public as contradictory messages and missed opportunities lead to frustration and loss of confidence.
“A unified approach to the energy transition would mean designing Green Energy Industrial Parks that are attractive for communities to host. It would mean technologies like batteries and district heating support energy efficiency, affordability and resilience. It would also mean ensuring households become more resilient as they invest in energy efficiency, micro-generation and electric vehicles.
“Government policy should give more focus to managing the timing and location of energy supply and demand as these are major opportunities to reduce infrastructure costs which represent a big risk to energy affordability and competitiveness.”
On the publication of the report, Dr Larry O’Connell, Director of NESC, added that: “The Council’s fourth report on the energy transition brings together insights from across the energy system. We have heard from stakeholders that inconsistencies and uncertainties are slowing down the transition and the analysis backs this up. The benefits of the energy transition for Ireland will only be realised if we have a joined-up approach to policy and implementation.”
It is the fourth and final report to be published from a body of work on the topic of energy policy – click here for a full overview.
To read the report in full please click here.
ENDS
For further information, contact:
Marie Lynch, Carr Communications,
e: marie@carrcommunications.ie | m: 087 973 0522
