The world’s climate is changing rapidly with temperatures increasing faster since 1970 than in any other 50-year period over at least the last 2,000 years. Climate change has been described by the Government as the defining challenge of our time. Ireland, as an EU Member State, has committed to achieving a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Successive Climate Action Plans have highlighted the essential role of renewable energy in achieving these targets, particularly in decarbonising the electricity sector which in turn supports the decarbonising of other sectors such as transport, heating and industry.   The 2024 Climate Action Plan specified that electricity from renewable sources should meet 80% of demand by 2030. However, achieving that target looks increasingly challenging. While there is a reasonable pipeline of onshore wind and solar projects, some are awaiting grid connections, and four recent planning permissions have been subject to judicial reviews. Six offshore wind projects, have been granted marine area consents, allowing them to apply to An Bord Pleanála for planning permission. Given the time needed to go through the planning, procurement and construction stages, it is unlikely that any offshore projects will be operational by 2030. The scale of new renewable energy capacity needed by 2030 – and even more so by 2050 – is extremely challenging and also requires major upgrades to the national grid. Unfortunately, EirGrid has experienced significant public opposition in delivering such projects, especially long-distance high-voltage transmission lines. Our central conclusion is that greater political commitment at the heart of Government is essential. Key recommendations are:

• Delivery of the Climate Action Plan targets needs to be driven by the Department of the Taoiseach
• The Government as a whole needs to explain to the public why improving the national grid is essential if 80%+ of our electricity is to be generated from renewable sources by 2030.