Is Ireland’s 2030 target already unrealistic? – The Irish Times

Ireland, like most other countries, has set ambitious carbon emissions targets for the transport sector: halving them by 2030.

While there are many “so what” questions surrounding these emissions, transport in all its forms still accounts for almost 40 per cent of total emissions, according to data from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

Halving transport emissions, while not easy, doesn’t seem so difficult on paper. A few electric cars here, a bit of sustainable jet fuel there, and suddenly we’re making some cuts. But according to Social Justice Ireland, the government’s overall climate action plan, if fully implemented, would only reduce transport emissions by about 26 per cent – ​​half of what is required in the official targets, and perhaps even less than what is really needed.

The recent decline in new electric car sales has likely made the target of having almost one million electric vehicles (EVs) on Irish roads by 2030 seem unachievable, even assuming that the situation changes rapidly and every new car sold in the state by 2030 is electric – which, given the current apathy of Irish consumers towards electric cars, seems utterly unlikely.

It may be unfair that the pressure to solve the climate crisis is being shifted onto individuals – after all, responding to climate change is ultimately a collective challenge – but it is, or at least should be, relatively easy to trigger this change when it comes to transport and motoring, and thus have a significant overall impact on total emissions.

Darren Kinsella, head of business development for new energy landscapes at Schneider Electric, told The Irish Times: “Only by rising to this challenge can we create an environment that reduces emissions and meets the country’s net zero targets. We need to rapidly transition from fossil fuel-based transportation to cleaner energy sources. Electric vehicles will play a significant role in this transformation, but more needs to be done to provide the infrastructure to power EV charging points and site the equipment.”

Kinsella said all the equipment and technology needed to support this transformation already exists in parts of Ireland.

“It’s just a matter of connecting the dots to create a more robust and energy-efficient microgrid network that can support EV charging,” he added. “Smart digital monitoring tools also give utilities and EV charging operators the ability to redirect power to support peak and off-peak usage, which is more sustainable and ensures electricity is available when people need it most.”

“For example, an office parking lot equipped with chargers could use solar power to charge EVs during the day, or wind power to charge EVs parked at home overnight. Bidirectional charging could also be incorporated into the equation to harness the energy stored in EV batteries via vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-building transmission models.”

( Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions to reach three-decade low in 2023Opens in a new window )

But even if we do all that and get everyone – or as many people as possible – to drive electric, it still won’t be enough. Brian Caulfield, head of the Transport Research Centre at Trinity College Dublin, told The Irish Times: “The latest EPA projections show that even with additional measures beyond what’s in the Climate Action Plan, we could achieve a 25 per cent reduction by 2030.

“While this would be a significant improvement on our current situation, I would have serious doubts about whether we would be able to take the additional measures to realise this limited ambition.

“The fundamental thing that needs to happen in this sector is that we build more public transport options as quickly as possible. Over the past decade, the urgency that is required to declare a climate emergency has not been evident in building major infrastructure projects like Metrolink and the light rail in Dublin and other cities.

“If we once again fail to deliver major public transport projects by the middle of the next decade, our chances of meeting our future climate commitments by 2050 will be very slim.

“The technologies that will help us decarbonise the transport sector are already here – buses, bikes, trams and trains. We know what we need to do. We really don’t need any more expensive reports or strategies – we just need to get down to work and do it.”

( Ireland’s carbon dioxide emissions fell by 1.9% last year, but growth in road transport wiped out progressOpens in a new window )

Whatever we do, solving the transport carbon overshoot will take time, effort and leadership.

“The transport sector will be the slowest to decarbonise,” said Prof Caulfield. “While other sectors have seen notable reductions, the transport sector has continued to report increases in emissions. However, in recent years, these increases have started to slow and taper off. This is not something that is unique to Ireland; it is a problem that has been seen in many other countries around the world.”

The trick, according to Prof. Caulfield, is that there is no benefit to us from harping on about the latest data, or worse yet, using it as an excuse to weaken or change plans.

“The problem with the transport sector, compared to perhaps some other sectors, is that it requires people to make individual changes,” he added. “But it’s not enough to put the onus on individuals to change when there are no viable alternatives available. It’s also important that the transition is fair and equitable, with equal access to alternatives across the country.”

It is clear that as an island nation we must also consider the climate impacts of our aviation and shipping sectors, carefully balancing economic and communication requirements with the requirements of reducing emissions. However, in many ways these reductions go beyond Ireland and will need to be undertaken in a more global sense.

However, when it comes to road transport, we can only make major progress – and quickly – if we show enough will to solve these problems.