Statement from Minister O'Brien on the EPA's greenhouse gas emissions projections report

The latest projections from the EPA are a clear signal that, while we've made real progress, we need to move faster to meet our 2030 climate targets. The government is fully aware of the scale of the climate challenge and the importance for Ireland to be a leader in accelerating climate action. This was underscored in the Programme for Government 2025, which sets out a comprehensive agenda for responding to the climate crisis.

We are undergoing a renewables-led energy transformation. Coal is on the way out, and renewables are now the backbone of our power mix; electricity generation from renewables has increased fivefold since 2005. It is estimated that renewables provided 40% of our electricity demand in 2024.

We are continuing to support the delivery of renewable energy in Ireland through the transposition of the Renewable Energy Directive II and III, providing important permitting and legal reforms, and further RESS and ORESS auctions to support additional onshore and offshore renewable energy.

We've backed this with real investment: a €2.5 billion programme of grid upgrades is underway to strengthen the electricity network for renewables and electrification, and we are presently finalising the PR6 programme of investment in EirGrid and ESB.

As part of our energy revolution we are delivering new interconnectors: the Greenlink interconnector to the UK is now operational, doubling Ireland's interconnector capacity. Construction of the Celtic interconnector to France is on track to be completed by 2026/2027 and the North-South project is advancing. These projects boost energy security and allow greater import/export of clean power.

This is backed by concrete action: emissions fell by 6.8% in 2023. GDP has seen a six-fold increase and the population has increased by nearly 50% since 1990. Yet, emissions are lower today than they were then. That’s real decoupling of emissions from economic activity – and few countries in Europe have achieved it under similar pressure.

We're also seeing progress in other areas. Electric vehicle sales are up – by 23% in April alone – and not just in cities. Rural counties like Carlow are showing real momentum with a 42% increase in EV sales for the first 4 months of the year compared to last year.

Home retrofits are scaling up, with low interest loans and over 1,000 upgrades a week happening last year. Certainty around NDP (National Development Plan) support is a key enabler to that growth.

Schools across the country are becoming part of Ireland's climate story; we're rolling out the Solar for Schools Programme to every school that wants to take part with no cost to the school, just clean electricity on the roof, lower bills, and a real-world example of climate action for the next generation to see.

The Renewable Heat Obligation will help decarbonise heating in industry and buildings. The Heat Bill will unlock district heating. Both are crucial and both are coming this year. Last year we saw the success of our first district heating network opened in Tallaght taking waste heat from the Amazon Data Centre to provide low-carbon heat to South Dublin Council public buildings.

We know that the EPA projections are not absolute forecasts; they reflect delivery to date. The first Climate Action Plan of this government was delivered last month. Cross-departmental taskforces are in place. Governance arrangements have been strengthened, with the first meeting of the new Climate Action Programme Board held last week, involving senior officials from all the main sectors – including energy, transport and agriculture. Its remit is clear: to focus on accelerated delivery of the actions needed to close the emissions gap.