Ireland’s carbon emissions are expected to fall by around 4% this year, Eamon Ryan has said. 

Yesterday, the Cabinet agreed the Climate Action Plan 2024 could be put out for public consultation. 

In the 2021 plan, the Government introduced a target of cutting Ireland’s emissions 51% by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050. 

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan said the country needs to go “further and faster” in decarbonising if it is to meet this goal. 

“Our emissions are starting to fall,” he said. 

“The ship is turning but we need to accelerate that. 

“We had just under a 2% reduction last year, we think it will be more than double that this year. 

“So, there is good news. People need a sense that there is hope here [and] it’s not just an impossible task.”

Windfarm above the village of Ardara, County Donegal, Ireland

Minister Ryan said emissions from electricity generation are “down significantly” due to increased renewable power generation and a successful interconnector with  Britain. 

He also noted a number of sectors have begun to adapt their work practices to take climate targets into account. 

“Even agriculture, which is the one that is probably the most contentious… our use of nitrogen fertiliser, we think it’s fallen about 27% in the last two years,” he said. 

“That’s saving farmers money as well as cutting emissions.

“[In] transport, we’re seeing public transport numbers really grow in a way that no one expected. 

“This month, we’re introducing about 20 new and enhanced rural bus services and people are responding to that. So, it is possible.” 

Retrofitting

In 2022, fuel use in Irish households produced 15% of the nation’s emissions and this year some 46,000 homes have been retrofitted. 

Minister Ryan described this as an “incredible story” and expressed hope the figures would increase further in 2024. 

“There’ll be a loan coming out in February, which will allow a much lower interest rate for exactly that project - doing up people’s homes,” he said. 

“That’ll allow people who might not have access to the credit because they don’t have the cash to pay for projects.”

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Main image: Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan. Picture: David Creedon