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Ireland set to miss environmental target by 'a substantial margin'

Ireland set to miss environmental target by 'a substantial margin'

Ireland is set to miss its target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by "a substantial margin" by 2020.

review by the Climate Change Advisory Council shows that while we have met our annual targets up to 2015, they are now increasing, in line with economic growth.

The Council has made a number of recommendations to get the country back on schedule.

These measures include speeding up the use of renewable energy and increasing the number of homes that receive energy efficiency upgrades.

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It also urges the "phase-out of the internal combustion engine in private transport", by adopting measures similar to those announced by the UK and France recently, banning the sale of petrol and diesel-powered cars in the future.

Another measure suggested is the removal of subsidies for electricity generated by peat "as soon as possible".

Chair of the Council, Professor John FitzGerald said: “Based on current trends and

projections, Ireland is likely to miss its 2020 greenhouse gas emissions targets by a substantial

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margin. This will have implications, not only for 2020 targets, but also for compliance with 2030

targets and longer term decarbonisation to 2050. It is urgent that effective additional policies

are implemented to place our economy on an environmentally sustainable pathway to a lowcarbon

Ireland in 2050.”

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