Let’s Power Change Together
Climate COP26 report
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Let’s Power Change Together
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A challenging environment
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Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan TD discusses the integration of Ireland’s climate and energy policies, alongside a raising of ambitions in the new Climate Action Plan. Ryan believes that the Government’s move to set a world-leading ambition of a 51 per cent reduction of emissions in the Programme for Government has been vindicated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) AR6 report, described as a “code red for humanity”. Pointing to the EU’s Fit for 55 package as an example of how others are now joining Ireland by enhancing their climate goals to 2030, the Minister says that Ireland will seek to raise its ambitions further through the upcoming Climate Action Plan. Describing an ambition that will be “difficult beyond compare”, the Minister stresses that “the highest possible ambition” in emissions reduction will be required from every sector of the economy.
“We must ensure every sector of our economy has the highest possible ambition in emissions reductions.”
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“I plan to use the Climate Action Plan to integrate climate and energy policies and plans in Ireland. I want to see the annual update to the climate plan to include the actions from all energy sectors. It will integrate our national retrofit plan. It will include policies and measures to support the development of green hydrogen and district heating. I want to focus my time, the Department’s capacity and our officials on implementation of policies.”
Electricity The Minister was speaking just days after the latest of a series of amber warnings on the electricity grid, caused by a shortfall in generation. Although electricity supply was not interrupted, the system operator said that the gap between supply and demand was less than optimal, and the alert raised questions about the levels of conventional generation which will be needed.
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Ryan insists that ensuring continued security of energy supply is “a national priority”, adding that “any deviation from this is not acceptable”. “There has been a lot of attention recently with regard to Ireland’s electricity supply, both short-term and long-term, with a considerable focus on the future implications of data centre development,” he states.
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“I am acutely aware of the need to urgently replace the older more polluting fossil generation in Ireland and cater for additional demand. Simple maths will point this to being in excess of 2GW of conventional plant, and much of this will be needed as soon as can be delivered.” Ryan believes that conventional generation will spend much of its time in reserve, meaning a reduction in the proportion of electricity generated by natural gas is expected to fall from current levels of around 50 per cent to “much less” than 30 per cent by 2030.
“I plan to use the Climate Action Plan to integrate climate and energy policies and plans in Ireland.” However, he acknowledges that this alone will not be enough. The Minister points to a need for additional capacity in both demand response and storage, as well as the acceleration of the deployment of renewables, to decrease the frequency and severity of supply shortages. To this end he says that his department are working closely with EirGrid and the CRU to deliver a range of actions to secure the capacity of reliable, flexible gas plant that will transition to renewable gas in the next decade. Ryan will soon publish a new Climate Action Plan, including new targets to increase renewable electricity supply, to deliver a highly flexible demand and protect the security of electricity supply. Progress towards a zero-carbon power system is more important than the headline renewable’s percentage, he states. “While achieving up to 80 per cent renewable electricity may be possible by 2030 or shortly after, the climate law will make the reduction in CO2 emissions a central goal in the electricity sector, more important than the headline renewable’s percentage. We are finalising those targets currently. “We will need to be close to the lower end of the range of two to four million tonnes in the electricity sector by 2030 and continue to decrease emissions thereafter, while growing electricity demand through the electrification of heat and transport.”
RESS Ryan intends to announce the qualification for RESS 2 before the end of 2021 and says that department officials are working to improve on the current auction timetable. “I am committed to delivering frequent RESS auctions that balance the needs and expectations of citizens, developers and investors in the development of our energy future and that also ensure competitive outcomes and cost reductions for consumers. “I am also very keen that citizens and communities are given the opportunity to invest in and benefit from renewable energy projects. All research, whether the great work by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) in 2014 or the recent consultation on shaping our future, show that citizens want and should have a right to participate in the energy transition. “Participation and collaboration from all stakeholders are key to the success of RESS.”
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Let’s Power Change Together The Minister acknowledges that the Government have been late to implement the clean energy package for microgeneration but says that he remains committed to delivery “as soon as possible”, pointing to the recent appointment of the CRU to implement a new clean export guarantee. “This framework will provide citizens, farms, businesses and communities with the opportunity to take part in the energy transition.” A draft framework is set to be published soon by the regulator, and payments are expected to be commenced before the end of the year.
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Retrofit The Minister outlines a commitment to adopt the previous government’s commitment to retrofit 500,000 homes by 2030, despite describing it as “one of the hardest tasks in the energy transition”. Alongside the continuation of the rollout of heat pumps to replace fossil heating systems, Ryan says the forthcoming Climate Action Plan will add an expanded role for district heating. SEAI is currently carrying out a comprehensive assessment of the decarbonisation of the heating sector in Ireland, set to be published in the coming months and the Minister explains that part of this study will indicate “when we need to move from each of our fossil fuels for heat, and this will inform future phasing out of fossil fuel and related appliances”. “District heating provides the opportunity to use waste heat from industry, data centres, heat pumps and sustainable biomass to reduce the need for retrofit and decarbonise our heating in urban areas,” he says. “My department is currently developing a new National Retrofit Plan, which we will integrate as part of the new Climate Action Plan.”
“While achieving up to 80 per cent renewable electricity may be possible by 2030 or shortly after, the climate law will make the reduction in CO2 emissions a central goal in the electricity sector, more important than the headline renewable’s percentage.”
Offshore wind Highlighting the reality of the challenge facing offshore wind development in Ireland, namely the absence of a regulatory framework or legal basis, the Minister says that delivery of planning, grid, auctions, development to get to 5GW of offshore wind in nine years is a “huge task” but one which will be delivered. “We absolutely must ensure that this development is done in the most ecologically friendly way that protects habitats of both above and below water habitats. We must bring our citizens along with us, including those who work the seas currently. “My department will be supporting a comprehensive range of actions from funding studies to chairing consultative groups to ensure this happens.” Ryan identifies the Marine Area Planning Bill, set to be introduced to the Oireachtas, as the legislative priority of government this term. “The Bill provides flexibility in terms of the extent of the State’s involvement in deploying offshore renewable energy in Irish waters, allowing for a gradual transition towards a more centralised/plan-led regime, with State involvement in spatial planning and grid development increasing over the decade.” Ryan’s department is developing a new consenting regime for offshore renewable energy, aiming to provide clarity and consistency for applicants whilst attracting new investment. Discussing the timeline for delivery, Ryan says: “The Government will launch the first offshore RESS (ORESS 1) once the required legislation, consenting regime and offshore grid regulatory framework are in place, and when a sufficient number of projects for a competitive auction have received these consents. This will be the first in a series of dedicated offshore auctions.” Speaking in the days prior to the publication of a consultation on the draft terms and conditions of ORESS 1, Ryan states: “Close future cooperation between the northern European countries within the North Sea region will be necessary to facilitate faster development of offshore renewables and more effective decarbonisation of EU power generation. “I look forward to working with all of these countries to deliver for the citizens of Ireland but also Europe in harnessing our vast ocean wealth.”
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Let’s Power Change Together COP26 IN FIGURES As we prepare for the holding of the COP26 conference in Glasgow, eolas examines the figures underpinning the conference and the discussions that will take place.
Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5ºC within reach
Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
Mobilise at least
$100 billion
in climate finance per annum to help developing nations adapt to and mitigate climate change
Mobilise finance
$78.9 billion of climate finance mobilised in 2018
Private climate finance directly mobilised by developed countries in 2018 was
An increase from $71.2 billion in 2017
billion
$14.6
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FOUR GOALS Work together to deliver
Banks, insurers, pension funds and investors with balance sheets totalling
$139 trillion
demanding Task Force on ClimateRelated Financial Disclosures (TCFD)aligned climate disclosure from companies
TCFD
1500 55
Market capitalisation of more than
$12.6
supporters from
trillion
countries
75 central banks covering
60%
of global emissions are now members of the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS)
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190
125
10
countries have endorsed the Paris Agreement
countries have formally approved the Paris Agreement in domestic law
countries have committed to net zero by 2050
of the G20 have committed to net zero by 2050
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Showing leadership on climate change
From left: Martin Pibworth, SSE's Group Energy and Commercial Director, joins First Minister Paul Givan MLA, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD, and deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA at a pre-COP26 event, Let’s Power Change Together.
Martin Pibworth, SSE plc’s Group Energy and Commercial Director, outlines how we need to seize the opportunity of COP26 to power change together across the island of Ireland. In early October at Belfast’s W5 and SSE Arena, the three most senior political representatives on the island of Ireland came together under one roof to examine and discuss the most pressing issue of our time: climate change.
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The event, Let’s Power Change Together, was organised by the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Chambers Ireland ahead of the upcoming COP26, the UN’s Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow. It afforded an important opportunity for An Taoiseach Micheál
Martin TD, First Minister Paul Givan MLA and deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA to come together for the first time to discuss how we can adopt an allisland approach to net zero. On behalf of SSE, I was proud to be able to join our chamber partners in welcoming our most senior political representatives to this unique and vital gathering. As I arrived it was fantastic to see The SSE Arena which has served a crucial recent role as a vaccination centre. Our
“There is no more significant common concern on this island than meeting the climate challenge.” An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD 106
collective response to Covid and our resilience is yet another proof point of how adaptive society can be when the need arises. And we do have another need. It’s not new. We are all equally affected. We talk about it often, but now, it is more urgent than ever. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on climate change published in August was sobering but it also offered hope; we can still limit the worst impacts of climate change, but only if there are immediate, rapid, and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The challenge is clear. This need for urgency is why SSE, as a Scottish-headquartered company, became a principal partner to Glasgow’s COP26 last November. A successful COP26 will bring together the policy, capital, and technology to ensure the accelerated delivery of climate action measures. At SSE we’re excited to be playing our part in helping take action to combat climate change, by providing expertise, commitment, and action through the delivery of greener energy. As an energy utility we have a crucial role to play on behalf of our customers and
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communities and we’re getting on with it. So, what does getting on with it mean?
But we’re also continuing to develop new sites so we can accelerate net zero ambitions to help tackle the climate crisis. We have ambitious plans for a 4.1GW super-project development in the North Sea which could become one of the largest offshore wind opportunities in the world. Beyond Britain and Ireland, we’re exploring how we can develop new offshore wind farms in countries such as Denmark, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the United States so we can help the globe go net zero. We’re 100 per cent ready to deliver Ireland’s emerging offshore wind ambitions. The island of Ireland has an enviable offshore wind resource that could make a significant contribution to decarbonisation here. The direction of public discourse across Ireland, north and south, and emerging energy policy in both jurisdictions all signal a new era for energy policy. The Irish Government recently increased its renewable electricity target to 80 per cent by 2030, underpinned by a 5GW target for offshore wind by 2030.
Investment from companies such as SSE can accelerate the green recovery, but they will require government support. At SSE we’re ready to play our part by providing our technical expertise and multi-billion-pound investment in renewable projects. In addition to a massive expansion of renewables we are finding clean solutions for those periods when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine by pioneering new carbon capture and hydrogen technologies. Critically, we are also ensuring our customers have the access they need to low carbon energy solutions from clean energy supply to building retrofits to tech solutions such as solar. We are doing all these things because there is no single answer. The solution will ultimately be the collective contribution of all of these different innovations. Over recent weeks the energy sector has attracted much media commentary due to the sudden spike in gas prices. Times like these are concerning both for us and for our customers. However, it does further emphasise the need to insulate society and the markets from the volatility of fossil fuel commodity prices.
Development of renewables is an economically cost-efficient way to achieve this for the long-term. The prize will be a sustainable energy system that increases the attractiveness of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to international investment. Inaction, on the other hand, risks us getting left behind. As we ready ourselves for COP26 we need to remember there are many hard questions to answer and we know the road ahead will throw up difficult challenges, but there are two certainties to consider: firstly, science tells us we can still mitigate the worst effects of climate change. Secondly, there are solutions ready today, like our Arklow Bank offshore wind project which is primed and ready to deliver by 2025; and technological solutions ahead such as hydrogen. We need decisive action now with the private sector and government policy fully aligned, and we need to seize the opportunity of COP26 to show strong leadership on climate change so we ensure we are all powering change together, across the island of Ireland, and across the globe.
W: www.sse.com
“Climate doesn't recognise any borders. We're going to be more effective if we work together. We must play our part in the global response... by taking action.” Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA
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SSE stands ready to deliver via our 520MW Arklow Bank Phase 2 Project and we are energised by the prospect of doing so. However, the project does require decisive Government action to enable its early delivery including consenting, grid, and route to market solutions; with these interventions we could have the project delivered by 2025. That can help secure Ireland’s energy future, reduce carbon emissions, and create local jobs, and in the here and now.
Energy Strategy targeting at least 70 per cent renewable electricity supply by 2030 which will set us on a similarly ambitious course for decarbonisation.
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At this moment SSE is building more offshore wind than any other company in the world. This includes constructing the largest offshore wind farm on the planet at Dogger Bank off the coast of England and constructing what will be the world’s deepest fixed bottom offshore wind farm at Seagreen off the coast of Scotland. We’re also building new onshore wind in Shetland where our in-construction Viking Energy Wind Farm is on track to become one of the most productive onshore wind farms in Europe when operational.
“Commitment to collaboration is the cornerstone of the NI Executive strategic response to climate change.” First Minister Paul Givan MLA
In Northern Ireland, we’re looking forward to seeing the Executive’s new 107
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Let’s Power Change Together
The four goals of COP26 The four goals of the COP26 conference are: securing global net-zero emissions by 2050; adapting to protecting communities and natural habitats; mobilising finance; and working together to deliver. eolas surveys how Ireland and the rest of the world are set to deliver on these goals. 1. Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach Key to this goal is that participating counties are being asked to bring forward “ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets that align with reaching net zero by the middle of the century”. Four deliverables are outlined as essential by COP26: • the acceleration of the phase-out of coal; • the curtailment of deforestation; • the speeding up of the switch to electric vehicles; and • the encouragement of investment in renewables.
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Ireland’s intention to phase out coalfired power generation by 2025 was announced by then-Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten in 2018. In 2021, new standards for the burning of coal were announced by Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD. From 2022, coal, coal-based products and any manufactured or peat briquettes sold in the State will be required to have smoke emission rates of less than 10 grams/hour, reducing to 5g/hr by 2025. In Europe, Austria, Belgium, and Sweden are already coalfree; 12 countries have announced phase out dates; nine countries have no coal plants; four countries are discussing their phase outs; and nine
countries, mainly in the coal-dependent east, are not discussing the matter. From 2000-2020, Ireland suffered a 16 per cent loss in tree cover; to address this, the 2019 Climate Action Plan pledged the planting of 22 million trees per year until 2040, totalling 440 million trees with a rate of 70 per cent conifers and 30 per cent broad leaves. Globally, 2021 research from the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature found that consumption in the G7 states accounts for an average loss of four trees per year per person, meaning that simple reforestation will not be enough to meet the goal of curtailing global deforestation. The goal in Ireland is to have 936,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030;
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SEAI figures indicate that there were 35,000 in 2021, meaning that the target of ending the sale of fossil-fuelled powered cars will have to have an effect before it comes into effect in order for the goal to be met. In terms of investment in renewables, the European Investment Bank has backed a €1.2 billion pan-European renewable investment, with €84 million for Ireland’s NTR Renewable Energy Income Fund II, a €500 million equity fund and €700 million debt to be deployed.
Just 7 per cent of land-based ecosystems in Ireland are in favourable ecological condition
2. Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats Two key enablers for this goal, as outlined by COP26, are: • protect and restore ecosystems; • and build defences, warning systems and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and even lives. 2021–2030 has been dubbed the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, with the UN releasing its 10 principles for ecosystem restoration. Ireland is considered a European laggard in European terms when it comes to ecosystem restoration; a 2016 EPA report stated that only 7 per cent of Irish land-based ecosystems were considered to be in a favourable ecological condition. The 2019 Climate Action Plan was scant in attention towards such problems and attention will turn to the details within the forthcoming Climate Action Act in order to gauge how Ireland will tackle this issue.
3. Mobilise finance
“Globally, 2021 research from the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature found that consumption in the G7 states accounts for an average loss of four trees per year per person, meaning that simple reforestation will not be enough to meet the goal of curtailing global deforestation.” While the data for 2019 and 2020 was unavailable at the time, the group’s assessment of the possible scenarios and their consultations meant that they concluded that the only realistic scenarios are those in which the $100 billion target would not be reached in 2020.
In a report published by the UN, an independent expert group on climate finance examined the COP16 Accord, which stated that the countries involved were committed to a goal of mobilising $100 billion per year by 2020. The report states that the basis for “counting [the $100 million] remains the subject of some contention” but that the COP16 Accord “makes it clear that the $100 billion may include finance from public and private sources”.
Stating that the five years from 20212025 are crucial, the group stated that the $100 billion target now needs to act as a ceiling rather than a floor; in particular, it called for the current figure of $12 billion in climate action grants, which “falls far short of what is needed”, to “at least double, and ideally treble”.
The report found that up to 2018, climate finance counting towards the target had been on an upward trajectory, but fell short nonetheless.
The return of the US to the Paris Agreement has of course been a great victory in terms of international cooperation on climate action and
4. Work together to deliver
COP26 will seek to actualise this momentum into finalising the Paris Rulebook, the rules that make the Agreement operational. Countries agreed the majority of the Rulebook at COP24, but the onus is now on the finalisation of the targets within, obligating countries to set adequate emissions targets, report on their progress transparently, provide finance to developing countries to meet their commitments and operationalise carbon markets. With its old climate targets falling short of Paris Agreement targets, the new targets set by Minister Ryan have aligned Ireland with the Agreement’s goals, meaning that attention will now turn to achieving those goals through measures such as the operationalisation of the carbon market (carbon tax currently stands at €33.50 per tonne), and to accurately reporting the progress towards those targets.
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Let’s Power Change Together
Frans Timmermans: Fit for 55 Following the European Union’s move to enshrine a 55 per cent emissions reduction in the new European Climate Law, Executive Vice President of the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans discusses the measures which will be required to achieve this. Timmermans, the former Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs and first Vice-President of the European Commission has led the Commission’s work on the European Green Deal and its first European Climate Law to enshrine the 2050 climate-neutrality target into EU law. He expresses not only a sense of urgency on the collective need to act to address climate change but also the role of every citizen in making the necessary emission reductions. “The good news is that if we commit to transformation then we can do so convincingly. The bad news is that if we are divided, if we are not convinced and if we feel others should be doing more while we are doing less then we will not limit the rise in temperature to below 2ºC.” Pointing to the evident effects of global warming across the planet on the form of droughts, floods and erratic weather patterns, Timmermans’ says that of equal importance is addressing the biodiversity crisis which is putting one million species at risk of being lost. He also believes “beyond any doubt” that the Covid-19 pandemic is linked to the biodiversity crisis, stating a lack of distance to our natural environment means that viruses usually “absorbed by our natural environment” now reach humanity “almost immediately”.
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Let’s Power Change Together The Vice-President says that fundamental to correcting these challenges is the lesson that “humanity must live within the boundaries that our planet sets us”. “That means changing almost everything,” he states. Highlighting the European Green Deal as a basis for change, Timmermans’ says that work with member states on recovery plans has combined efforts to move out of the crisis, embrace the opportunities of the industrial revolution and confront the climate crisis and the risk of ecocide.
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“The European Green Deal offers a clear path to climate neutrality by 2050 and gives a clear indication of what needs to be done between now and then, in way that is feasible.” Timmermans’ warns against delaying climate action to the later decades, believing that such change will be too radical for society to accommodate. “If we start now, and I mean that literally, we can reduce our emissions step by step to reach climate neutrality by 2050”, he adds. The Executive Vice-President says that a scientifically informed need to “up the ante” was the driving force behind the lifting of ambitions from a 40 per cent reduction by 2030 to a 55 per cent reduction, now enshrined in law. Added to this, Timmermans explains that a coupling of Europe’s 60 per cent economic increase in the past two decades alongside a 20 per cent decrease in emissions is demonstratable proof that emission reduction can be done in tandem with economic growth. However, he is aware that achieving a 55 per cent reduction by 2050 will require further measures, included in the EU’s Fit for 55 package. Outlining some of these, he points to a need to reform and strengthen the emissions trading system (ETS). The ETS has been a successful method of putting a price on carbon to the point where others, including China, are now considering a similar system introduction.
“We need to reduce the free allowances under ETS and evaluate its scope, enlarging it in different sectors.” “The ETS is working well, and the markets expect it to continue functioning well, but we need to strengthen it. We need to reduce the free allowances under ETS and evaluate its scope, enlarging it in different sectors,” he says. Added to this is a planned revision of the effort sharing regulation on member states’ reduction targets in sectors outside the ETS. On a planned revision of the regulation on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF), Timmermans’ estimates that 75 per cent of Europe’s forests are “in a bad state”. An increase in the area of forestry across Europe has not been matched with an increase in carbon sink, which he describes as a “serious problem”. The Climate Law forces an increase in the carbon sink and this obligation was core to the creation of the EU’s recent Forest Strategy for 2030.
EVs The Fit for 55 package also includes plans for an amendment of the regulation setting CO2 emission standards for cars and vans. Timmermans believes the move towards EVs across Europe is going faster than expected but says that greater strictness on emission standards would stimulate the production of EVs, which he says is necessary to decreasing the price per unit.
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“There are two things currently preventing people switching to EVs: The price today, which I think will be very different in five years’ time, and the lack of charging infrastructure. We need to stimulate both very quickly at EU level and at national level,” he states. One of the most debated measures of the package is the planned introduction of a carbon border adjustment mechanism, equalising the price of carbon between domestic products and imports and preventing the risk of carbon leakage. Timmermans says that discussion with international partners around the mechanism has been positive, as it has highlighted the need for others to move towards climate neutrality to avoid protective measures at the borders. Even prior to implementation, the prospect of a mechanism has stimulated development in the right direction. Discussing plans to revise the energy tax directive, Timmermans says: “We will need to renew energy taxation, including to reduce the scope of fossil fuel subsidies. The price decrease and profitability of renewable energy was always underestimated, and I believe if you look at what is happening in relation to renewable technology then I believe we will no longer need investments in fossil fuels. “We need direct EU financial support for decarbonisation, and we need to improve the enabling conditions, including the action plan on financing sustainable growth and the EU taxonomy regulation for green investments. We also need to look very carefully at state aid rules to ensure that they are in line with the needs and objectives of the Green Deal and the climate neutrality objective. “I believe that this is a strategy not only to get us in line with our climate commitments but also to get us on a growth path in the new economy and to living within our planetary boundaries.”
Ireland Focusing specifically on Ireland, Timmermans says that domestic policy has gone some way to addressing a recognisable need for Ireland to “catch up” in relation to emissions reduction. The Executive Vice President believes it will be essential for the Government to work with farmers in relation to mitigation policies, given the scale of the beef and dairy sectors in the country. “Let me be very clear, farmers are the solution,” he states “And we should help them along, but they cannot continue along the lines of the traditional Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), when you consider the impact on our biodiversity. “We need to make sure we give farmers a better, stronger future and that we also reward them for being carbon farmers and for being custodians of our natural environment.” Saluting Ireland’s move to end the extraction of peat for energy and horticulture, while restoring peatlands, he says: “I think that’s an excellent example of the just transition that the Green Deal can offer.” Finally, Timmermans says that the progress of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 is a major step forward by placing a strong framework for climate action. 112
“We need to make sure we give farmers a better, stronger future and that we also reward them for being carbon farmers and for being custodians of our natural environment.”
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Code red for humanity As the leaders of the world convene in Glasgow to address the challenge of battling climate change, the words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres will be ringing in their ears. “Code red for humanity,” was how the Secretary-General greeted the publication of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. “The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable: greenhouse‑gas emissions from fossil-fuel burning and deforestation are choking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk,” Guterres said in a statement that accompanied the release of the report. “Global heating is affecting every region on Earth, with many of the changes becoming irreversible.” It is against the backdrop of this alarming IPCC report that the world’s leaders will meet and attempt to enshrine into law targets that will mitigate and minimise the future damage that would be wrought on the earth if nothing were to be done. The report has found that the agreed upon limit to temperature rise, 1.5ºC, is “perilously close” as things stand, with the earth “already at 1.2ºC and counting” and at “imminent risk of hitting 1.5ºC in the near term”. Key among the findings in the report are: •
Sea levels have risen at their fastest rate in 3,000 years over the
last century, with the world’s oceans rising at a level of roughly four millimetres per year in the last decade (1.5 inches per decade). The two main reasons for this escalation are that water expands as it grows warmer, and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets is adding to the level; •
Global heating means that the type of heat waves that would to occur once every 10 years are now happening more than twice as often, with extreme heat waves likely to happen once every 50 years now almost five times more likely, occurring roughly once a decade. If the world reaches 2ºC of warming, these severe heat waves could be 14 times as likely to occur as they were in pre-industrial times;
•
Extreme droughts that would occur once a decade are now occurring 70 per cent more frequently; and
•
Heavy rains have become about 30 per cent more frequent, and they contain about 7 per cent more water
on average. The number of severe hurricanes and typhoons has also likely increased since the 1970s due to the climate crisis. With the limiting of global heating to 1.5ºC, heavy rain is still projected to increase in Europe, North America, and most of Africa and Asia. Under the Paris Agreement, almost all of the world’s nations agreed to limit temperature rises to 2ºC and aim for a limit of 1.5ºC; a UNFCCC report on national climate action plans published on the heels of the IPCC report found that current measures would only bring global heating down to a level of 2.7ºC. “It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land,” the report says. “Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred.” At COP26, the governments of the earth will know that it is also unequivocal that only human influence can halt this process; the first steps will be agreed among them in Glasgow. 113
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SSE Renewables: Power to progress
Maria Ryan, Director of Development at SSE Renewables, addresses the key issues affecting the delivery of Ireland’s renewable energy ambitions. What is the potential for offshore wind energy in Ireland?
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Our territorial waters are 10 times the size of our land mass so the potential for offshore wind in Ireland is huge. It is an entirely new industry that will not only contribute to fighting the climate crisis but will create thousands of jobs, billions of Euro of economic investment and support communities with multi-million Euro annual Community Benefit Funds. In comparison to other renewable technologies it has the ability to deliver at scale. The question is whether action can be taken in time for us to reach the climate action targets set out in the Programme for Government seeking 5,000MW of offshore wind by 2030. SSE Renewables is ready to deliver Ireland’s first offshore wind farm of scale, Arklow Bank Wind Park Phase 2, by 2025 which would kick-start the industry and power the country’s green 114
recovery. This project alone will require an investment of between €1 billion and €2 billion, deliver circa. €860 million gross value-added to the island of Ireland and create circa. 10,500 FTE years nationally, circa. 4,800 of which will be local. Offshore wind presents a massive opportunity for Ireland but to ensure delivery on targets a robust marine planning system, a much stronger electricity grid and a firm date for the first offshore renewable electricity auction is required.
How can we overcome the key challenges facing the Irish offshore wind industry? There are many challenges facing the offshore wind industry in Ireland and while the political will is there, the pace at which progress is being made is simply not quick enough. The thorough development of an offshore wind farm
can take many years, with construction taking multiple years due to their scale, we are only nine years from the end of the decade and the frameworks to facilitate the development of new offshore wind projects are not yet in place, the next 12 months will be key. We are hopeful that the MAP (Maritime Area Planning) Bill will be enacted by year end. However, it looks increasingly likely that planning guidelines won’t be published before the end of 2022 and therefore it will be mid-2023 before projects will be in a position to submit fully formed planning applications to An Bord Pleanála. Even then, after a potential two-year consenting process, developers could be put back to the starting line if their application is refused. It is critical that this ‘one-shot at planning’ approach is amended so that developers have an opportunity to redesign the project and re-apply if appropriate, rather than being
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left with nothing to show for a multimillion Euro spend and years of work.
What’s your understanding of delays in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) for offshore wind? While we welcome the publication of the Terms and Conditions for the Offshore RESS auction in October 2021, the overall delivery timeline has already slipped from 2021 to the end of 2022 and is very likely to slip further. This is largely as a result of delays incurred by other dependent pieces of legislation and policy.
What impact will further delays to the Offshore RESS have on future ambitions?
SSE Renewables’ proposed Braymore Point and Celtic Sea Array projects off the coasts of Louth and Waterford respectively will be amongst the first offshore wind projects to seek seabed and consent via the new MAP regime and new regulatory authority MARA (Marine Area Regulatory Authority). We would like to see MARA set up as soon as possible to facilitate the progression of the offshore pipeline in Ireland.
Maria Ryan (right) being interviewed at Arklow Bank for EcoEye to give an insight into how offshore wind can help fight climate change, create jobs and support local communities.
How will Ireland’s national grid accommodate the additional generation produced offshore?
wind, both of which will significantly
In simple terms, we need a stronger grid, capable of taking the electricity generated by offshore wind farms and delivering it to customers. As it stands the Irish electricity grid is not strong enough to accommodate the 5,000MW offshore wind target set out in the Programme for Government. EirGrid’s grid development strategy is expected to be published by the end of this year, it is crucial that all relevant stakeholders engage with this process and once finalised, the strategy must be endorsed widely, by both political stakeholders and the public in order to ensure that the national grid can be developed so that it can cater for the growing offshore wind industry to support decarbonisation.
portfolio and by 2030, we plan to deliver
contribute to the decarbonisation of the electricity system. We have an extensive onshore and offshore development an additional 700MW of onshore wind, doubling our current onshore operational portfolio, in addition to 2GW of offshore wind. Much of the existing onshore fleet across the island is coming of age and will soon be in need of repowering or extension of life. It is essential that repowering and life extension projects are facilitated, so that the gains made through the development of onshore wind is retained. Flexibility is needed for repowering projects must be reflected in national policies including the longawaited updated Wind Energy
What role will onshore wind energy play in Ireland’s route to net zero?
Guidelines.
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It is of significant concern to SSE Renewables that RESS looks set to progress without planning approval as a pre-requisite. If RESS contracts are awarded to prospective projects that are not consented the reality is they may never deliver, those contracts are then redundant and Ireland is left further away from meeting climate targets by the end of the decade.
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We estimate that MAP projects will not start to deliver until 2028 at the earliest and we are concerned that the 5GW by 2030 will not be achievable. The interim target of 1GW of offshore wind by 2025 in the 2019 Climate Action Plan appears to have been quietly abandoned and focus shifted to the 2030 targets, we cannot back-end delivery to the end of the decade, action is required now. SSE Renewables can deliver the 520MW Arklow Bank Wind Park Phase 2 under its existing Foreshore Lease by 2025 and contribute to this interim target.
www.sserenewables.com SSE Renewables will continue to develop both onshore and offshore
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Credit Michael Wuertenberg
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Let’s Power Change Together
Taking the climate crisis personally Former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, speaks with Ciarán Galway about how recognition of climate injustice can help make the climate crisis personal.
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Robinson believes that the climate crisis must be made personal for governments and major corporations. The Chair of the Elders emphasises that scientists’ repeated warnings the crisis have not been taken seriously enough until now.
that climate change has a
“I think the way to make both governments and corporations take it personally, is to look through the lens of justice and see the injustice of the impacts of climate change,” says Robinson, who has identified five layers of injustice.
The second is that women are more
Setting these out, the former President says that the first injustice is evidence
floods to make their communities more
disproportionate impact in the poorest countries, poorest communities and among the indigenous people of the most vulnerable parts of the world, despite little responsibility for the scale of emissions.
greatly impacted because of gender stratification. “Women often do not have the same power, the same access to credit and in many countries, they might not have the same rights, and yet they have to go further in drought and resilient,” she states.
The third layer of injustice applies to young people, who are cognisant the errors of their predecessors and in studying the science are conscious of the precarity of the future, Robinson asserts, before paying tribute to the youth movement for its persistent demand for change. The fourth, Robinson explains, is a subtle point but one that is important for a country like Ireland, which has built its economy using fossil fuels, and is now in need for a just transition. As a former Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Climate Change, Robinson says that she recognised a
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promise from the developing countries to go as green as possible, providing they were supported with investment, training, and skills. “We have not shown that solidarity and in the interim developing countries have continued to find oil and gas,” she says, adding: “The reality is that they are given little option but to go down the dirty route, meaning they will use up the carbon budget and will be affected first as the most vulnerable. However, we will all be affected and therefore, it makes common sense for us to share the technology for the whole world to go green very rapidly.” The fifth and final layer identified by Robinson is the injustice to nature itself. “The loss of biodiversity and the extinction of species means that we need not only to cut emissions but to restore biodiversity. We need to make that feel personal and not some big scientific idea. That is the importance of climate justice,” she explains.
Individual responsibility On individual responsibility, Robinson says that the Covid-19 pandemic has presented a lesson that collective human behaviour matters. Setting out the importance of individual behavioural change to contribute to collective efforts, Robinson says that the first stage of collective change is personal responsibility. The second stage is anger at those who have the greatest responsibility but are not taking sufficient action. As such, Robinson says that personal choice to use votes, voices and join organisations involved in climate conservation and advocacy, as individuals, will in turn become collective behaviour. However, most
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“The next decade is probably the most important decade in the history of humanity because it will determine whether we have a future.” importantly for Robinson is the ability to imagine “the healthier world we are hurrying towards”. “If we can imagine this future together, we will want to get there and we will urge governments to get there. We need that impulse of real energy to get a world of staying below 1.5ºC,” she says.
COP26 Concluding, Robinson says that realising a world of climate justice and sustainability before it is too late is a very real challenge. The former President says that she is alarmed by a recent report by the International Energy Agency which highlights a rise in emissions as countries shore up their economies post-Covid crisis. “What we need is all governments, corporations and cities to commit to be net zero emissions by 2050 and then work backwards to 2030 for the commitments they will make this year. The UN Conference on Biodiversity in China and the COP26 conference in Glasgow represent an opportunity to commit to protecting 30 per cent of our land and 30 per cent of our oceans as part of restoring biodiversity. “We need to commit to nationally determined contributions that cut emissions by more than 50 per cent for industrialised countries by 2030. “The next decade is probably the most important decade in the history of humanity because it will determine whether we have a future. Unless we can make it personal, in a sense of understanding the layers of injustice, understanding the importance of doing it collectively and of meeting the challenge, we will not have a future.”
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EirGrid: shaping collaborative engagement system. The Shaping Our Electricity Future consultation took 14 weeks, and the results will be published this month. It will detail the findings from the consultation and present innovative approaches to developing the electricity grid in order to meet the Government’s 2030 renewable energy target. The target will be a talking point at COP26. To assess how best to achieve the 2030 target EirGrid asked the public: ‘How should we achieve this?’ and presented four draft approaches for consideration: • Generation-led: Put clean generation close to where most power is used;
CEO Mark Foley described the consultation process as “the largest body of work that EirGrid has undertaken”.
EirGrid has a unique and challenging role to play in leading the radical transformation of the electricity sector to low-carbon, renewable energy. The transmission system operator needs to add more energy from renewable sources, such as wind and sun, to the power system over the next nine years. Advertorial
Doing so is necessary to meet the Government target of at least 70 per cent of electricity consumption to be met from renewable sources by 2030. To put that in context, renewable energy accounted for 42 per cent of electricity consumption in Ireland last year. Boosting that figure to 70 per cent requires significant investments, not only in renewable energy developments, but also in the national electricity grid that transports the energy from where it is produced to where it is used. 118
By 2030, the grid needs to be stronger and more flexible so that it can carry lots more power from energy sources that vary depending on the weather, over longer distances. To help decide how best to do this, earlier this year EirGrid created four draft approaches to transforming Ireland's grid. Described by CEO, Mark Foley, as “the largest body of work that EirGrid has undertaken”, in March the company embarked on a nationwide consultation on the future of Ireland’s electricity
• Developer-led: Let developers decide where to locate clean generation; • Technology-led: Try new ways to move clean power across the country; and • Demand-led: Put large electricity users close to sources of clean power. For the national electricity grid operator, a new and innovative process for public engagement was adopted to facilitate a people-led approach on the options available. “At EirGrid we strive for meaningful, inclusive and transparent engagement and we wanted this process to be people-led from the very start,” explained Head of Public Engagement, Sinéad Dooley. Firstly, a clear plan for engagement and how to include all facets of society in this collaborative process was needed.
New public engagement strategy for a cleaner energy future In the normal course of business, engagement with stakeholders is a hugely important part of EirGrid’s operations. From open exhibition days to visiting landowners and engaging with
the public using a mobile information unit, EirGrid is no stranger to reaching out to foster direct contact with communities, landowners, and elected representatives on a regular basis.
“Whilst grappling with the impact of the pandemic on our engagement, pivoting to meaningful virtual engagement has allowed us to continue innovating and developing our engagement and communication processes which has culminated in one of the largest public consultations undertaken by a semi state company to date,” Dooley states. The virtual initiative went beyond standard video conferencing and webinars, focusing on the user experience and ensuring the stakeholder voice is both heard, and, importantly, acted upon.
Inclusive approach In the Shaping Our Electricity Future consultation and engagement process, segmenting engagement experiences was key for EirGrid in ensuring an inclusive approach, facilitating voices from across society, industry, and statutory bodies during the 14-week consultation period. Cognisant of reaching all audiences, including youth, and rural communities, the engagement programme included youth assemblies thanks to a collaboration with the National Youth Council of Ireland, and rural workshops in conjunction with Irish Rural Link.
For the national electricity grid operator, a new and innovative process for public engagement was adopted to facilitate a people-led approach on the options available.
The feedback and inputs from public and civil society stakeholders was analysed and used to inform the final Shaping Our Electricity Future Roadmap. Specifically, the feedback was used to: • Influence the network and generation modelling that EirGrid has based studies on; • The development of the Network Infrastructure Roadmap; • The development of the Stakeholder Engagement Roadmap; and • More broadly, influence and reinforce EirGrid’s overall approach to Public Engagement. What did EirGrid learn from undertaking this approach to public engagement on such a large scale, using a diverse range of communication channels and collaborations? The activity undertaken by EirGrid throughout this consultation and engagement showed significant support from stakeholders for the necessity and objectives of Shaping Our Electricity Future.
Alongside partnerships, EirGrid directly facilitated engagement events across Ireland, including stakeholder workshops, civil society, forums, and a deliberative dialogue modelled on Ireland’s citizen’s assembly.
Communication is key Adopting an innovative public engagement process such as this also called for an innovative communications campaign to amplify what EirGrid was trying to achieve: public input into the decision-making process. A 360-communication campaign was mobilised to support and amplify the
public engagement programme, using national and regional media, along with digital and social media, paired with organic and paid for content. To support this campaign, thought leadership and political engagement was also used. “The delivery of a robust communications plan to ensure maximum amplification of the Shaping Our Electricity Future campaign was key. On analysis, the impact of the plan returned successful results, including very welcome positive media sentiment for the campaign,” explained Head of Public Relations at EirGrid, Suzanne Collins. With public and industry responses to the Shaping Our Electricity Future public engagement campaign surpassing EirGrid’s expectations, one thing is clear: the public care about the future of the electricity system and they want an active role in the transition to a low carbon system. To discuss this transition, and EirGrid’s public engagement approach to Shaping Our Electricity Future, EirGrid representatives, along with the Department of the Environment, Climate Action and Communications will attend an event at COP26 next month.
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“We also utilised relationships with Chambers Ireland, the Public Participation Networks and Local Government to ensure the opportunity for people to shape our electricity future was not missed,” explained Dooley.
How were these events, forums and workshops then used to inform EirGrid and its roadmap to a cleaner energy future?
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With Covid-19 halting in-person information events, EirGrid accelerated its innovation in digital engagement, researching and training internally and trialling solutions, including the increased roll out of webinars, digital workshops, virtual exhibitions, and micro-sites.
T: 085 603 0969 E: David.Martin@Eirgrid.com W: www.eirgrid.com
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Let’s Power Change Together
COP26: Implications for Ireland A panel of experts discuss the implications for Ireland of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), aimed at accelerating action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. How will COP26 catalyse the energy future?
John FitzGerald As well as giving the world an opportunity to recommit to the objectives set out in the Paris Agreement, COP26 will also give international attention to the issue. My concern would be that we have frequently seen governments making commitments, but I would like to see more by the way of action. Governments actually implementing policies is what will make the difference, so it is what comes after Glasgow that is critical.
early 2030s. What that says is that the window of opportunity to address more dangerous climate change is closing. In energy, electricity is the most important sector but there is a need for action. We are hoping COP26 will bring about that total focus on action.
Oisín Coghlan COP26 will offer momentum. It is not quite like Paris, as there is no major new treaty or agreement in the offing, but it marks the return of the US, if not to climate leadership, at least to positive engagement and ambitious action. I would hope that from Glasgow comes a realisation by civil society and industry, particularly in the context of energy, that this is real. Government intent will enable industry to respond and so for me, COP26 is about that sense of cohesion and momentum. Rachel McEwen We need to go beyond momentum and accelerate. The IPCC report basically said that global temperatures will cross the 1.5ºC threshold in the
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What role can Ireland play in the global energy transition?
Oisín Coghlan Ireland can commit to doing its fair share. Our new climate law target is for net zero carbon by 2050, which is not our fair share under an equitable distribution of effort to reach 1.5oC but is at least finally in line with EU targets. We have been better in energy but there is a need for a
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Rachel Ireland has a leadership role and there is no time like the present to get things moving. There is no doubt that in Ireland’s system one of our biggest gaps is insufficient zero carbon or low carbon flexible generation. It is the next big thing that needs to happen because what we cannot do is allow a disorderly transition to net zero, because that would leave people behind.
“We know we can, through various technologies, produce lots of renewable electricity but the problem is balancing the system in a way that is carbon neutral.”
Panellists
Rachel McEwen CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER
SSE
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continued commitment by government. Firstly, in relation to renewables, we have been a world leader on the integration of renewables on to our grid, but we need to press on with facilitating offshore wind and solar. Secondly, we have begun to show symbolic leadership on the future of fossil fuels through divesting our sovereign wealth fund from fossil fuels and ending the issuing of new licenses for oil and gas exploration, but we are now in a crunch period of addressing what we do about our own supplies of fossil fuels over the coming years. I believe if the Government want to show leadership, as they say they do, then they should outline that they don’t see it as appropriate to develop gas infrastructure of any kind, because it risks locking ourselves in. We need to be moving to the electrification of everything and the decarbonisation of electricity.
Rachel joined SSE in 2007 and, as Chief Sustainability Officer, is responsible for its sustainability strategy, climate change policy, community funds and corporate heritage. She is also a non-Executive Director of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Board. External to SSE, Rachel was a member of the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Commission and is a member of the Fair Tax Mark Board. Prior to working for SSE, she was Senior Special Adviser to Scotland’s First Minister from 2001 to 2007.
John FitzGerald MEMBER
John FitzGerald Primarily, Ireland can support the EU Commission proposals because it is vital for Europe that these are implemented, including the inclusion of heat and transport into the Emissions Trading System (ETS). Secondly, Ireland needs to redirect about two per cent of national income from current investment and consumption to investment in tackling climate change. Barriers will have to be removed so we can roll out major investment in infrastructure to decarbonise electricity, but I think where costs are going to be significant is in the areas of heat and transport. That is going to place a significant burden on government and is going to require a significant increase in taxation in order to fund the necessary transformation. I believe that government must be honest with people in saying yes, there are major benefits, but there are also going to be costs.
Climate Change Advisory Council John is one of Ireland’s leading economists and a Research Affiliate with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and an Adjunct Professor in TCD and UCD. He was a member of the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation from 2003 to 2006 and he is a member of the Government's Climate Change Advisory Council.
Oisín Coghlan
To what extent are the technologies and energy solutions for dealing with emissions across power, transport, deforestation, and methane readily available and cost-effective?
DIRECTOR
Friends of the Earth
Rachel McEwen Within electricity, there is so much to go for right now and the big gamechanger is the cost of offshore wind. We can take inspiration from the success of onshore wind because if you create the right structures and competitive situations, then the private sector should do what it is good at, which is to innovate and bring down costs. It is clear what we need to do with electricity, we need to get as much offshore wind out there as possible.
Oisín has been Director of Friends of the Earth since 2005. He co-founded the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition in 2007 and the Environmental Pillar in 2009 and led the 14-year campaign for a climate law which culminated in the passing of the Climate Action Act 2021. He is the current chair of Coalition 2030, the Irish civil society coalition for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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Let’s Power Change Together
John FitzGerald
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Offshore wind is now reaching the production stage but in other areas we don’t know what the answer is going to be. We know we can, through various technologies, produce lots of renewable electricity but the problem is balancing the system in a way that is carbon neutral. There is not one solution to do this and in deploying solutions, there is a need to reduce costs to make them feasible. Oisín Coghlan To a large extent the technologies exist but there is great capacity for innovation among the business community and society at large, particularly when government makes the market and there are targets and hard
our electricity might go to data centres in 10 years’ time. Rachel McEwen Last year, I was a little concerned about a frenzy of target setting by companies and corporates, not just in the energy sector. There appeared to be an emphasis on the scale of targets and not necessarily the effectiveness of action. In SSE, we have pinned our flag to the science-based target initiative, and it is important that the carbon targets we have set for our own
“I would hope that from Glasgow comes a realisation by civil society and industry, particularly in the context of energy, that this is real.” objectives put in place. The challenge is that there is no silver bullet. There are hundreds of solutions across society and the challenge is not identifying them or even developing them but deploying them at scale. That is why it is really important that there are opportunities for people to be involved, through the likes of microgeneration, and that we enable these solutions, even if they are not the most cost-effective, so that people can feel involved.
How can the Irish Government and energy industry demonstrate leadership in transforming ambitions into action?
Oisín Coghlan On the part of the Government, it will require a sustained focus. Following the science in the same way we have with Covid-19 and then communicating that with a consistency and clarity, not just for 18 months
operations have integrity. We have put a lot of store into having those firm targets, and they are important but not nearly as important as the actions we have to take quickly. John FitzGerald I agree that the effectiveness of action is more important than targets and I believe government must take the lead if we are to achieve buy-in from people. Some innovations already exist, for example, the Tallaght District Heating Scheme, which uses the excess heat from the Amazon data centre, or the Kilkenny County Council retrofit programme for local authority homes, which has also served as a catalyst for nearby private homes to make investment. These are initiatives which show the benefits of the State taking control, delivering at scale, getting buy-in, and assuring quality control. The State has a role
“We can take inspiration from the success of onshore wind — if you create the right structures and competitive situations, then the private sector should do what it is good at, which is to innovate and bring down costs.” but for the next decade and beyond. Every decision must prioritise climate action when there are trade-offs to be made. We then need to put in place whatever supports are required to mean that the consequences of those decisions are not too severe.
if we, the people of Ireland, are going to spend a lot of money addressing climate change. A further example is the Land Development Agency (LDA), which is going to play a big role in
Additionally, it is not all about technology and innovation. We are going to have to manage, or at least reduce, the energy demand. Some models show energy demand doubling in the next 10 years, with a lot of that additional demand going towards data centres. I would worry that what needs to be done around the grid and renewables to solve the climate crisis will get conflated in the public eye, with the growth in data centre electricity demand. I don’t believe that the Government is taking seriously the need for data centre policy that aligns with our Paris goals and questions whether or not it is worth building a system where a quarter of
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building large numbers of houses in Ireland. If the LDA pushed for timber frame dwellings, using much less cement, they have the scale to require factories to be built to produce the houses in modular form. This would save money, deliver houses more rapidly and save carbon. It is these types of initiatives where the State can play a role and further, advertise it.
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Implementing the European Green Deal
European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson discusses the role of the Fit for 55 package in the
In order to achieve the goals set out by Fit for 55 and the European Green Deal, Europe needs to save 9 per cent more energy than it would do on its current trajectory. All member states will have flexibility in how they go about achieving this goal, but the question that has been much discussed is how exactly these member states can get to this goal. The European Commission has proposed a greater annual energy savings obligation, increasing it from 0.8 per cent to 1.5 per cent. “Each member state can focus on sectors with the biggest potential: buildings, transport and industry,” Simson says. “We foresee a stronger role of the public sector. For example, through energy efficient renovations and public procurement. We want to alleviate energy poverty; that means developing policies with the most vulnerable in mind. We are also proposing that the Energy Efficiency First Principle be enshrined in law, which will help to use its full potential.” In terms of renewable energy, the Fit for 55 package and the revised Renewable Energy Directive provide what Simson calls “a complete framework for
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renewable deployment covering every relevant sector of the economy”. That includes revised targets, such as the 40 per cent of renewables targeted for inclusion in Europe’s energy mix by 2030, an increase of 8 per cent on top of the current target. Much of the necessary work was already completed in 2020, within European strategies for energy system integration, hydrogen, the renovation wave, and offshore renewable energy. New rules were also proposed for the trans-European energy networks, putting the focus firmly on green energy and grids.
While Ireland is “at the geographical periphery of Europe”, as Simson puts it, it also has “the capability to be at the centre of the energy transition”. Simson uses the 70 per cent target for renewable electricity by 2030 as evidence for this claim. Successfully reaching this target demands an Irish grid ready to carry this increased capacity and a security of supply; Simson points to the Celtic Interconnector project as the answer to both of these issues. In 2019, the Celtic Interconnector received what was then the largest ever grant from the Connecting Europe Facility, €530 million, as well as additional coordination and acceleration of permit granting processes under the TEN-E regulation. It is expected to go live by 2026.
“Still, we need to go further,” she states. “We need to go beyond electricity and decarbonise heating and cooling, which counts for half of our energy consumption. We must ensure that investments for buildings renovation guide us away from fossil fuel boilers and towards sustainable alternatives, and that shift needs to be a costeffective one. The revised Renewable Energy Directive also aims for a bigger role for electrification in transport and innovative fuels, especially for the harder to decarbonise sectors like aviation and maritime.
Concluding, the Commissioner turns her attention to how the coming transformation will impact the European citizen: “I don’t talk about the impact on fossil fuel industries lightly. They will be impacted across the EU, and in Ireland, where the greatest impact will be on the peat industry and the midlands region. We cannot overestimate the importance of a just transition, one where no one is left behind. The key priority is to guide a low-carbon transition while supporting communities and opening up new business perspectives in the energy sector and beyond.”
implementation of the European Green Deal.
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“Each of these two instruments, the revised energy efficiency and renewable energy directives, are united in a common goal: partnership with our consumers and citizens at the centre of the transition, but this package is a play with two acts. The work is not done, and there are several important initiatives still to come this year. By the end of 2021, we will review the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. In the same timeframe, the Commission will present proposals to decarbonise the EU gas market, including measures to boost clean hydrogen. Finally, we will tackle the emissions of the most potent and second-most important greenhouse gas: methane.”
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