A “major energy transition” is needed if Ireland is to meet its carbon budget obligations, a leading sustainable energy expert has warned.
It comes as a new report from Friends of the Earth has found 25% of people in Ireland are ‘extremely’ worried about climate change.
They also found one in five people named the climate as one of the top three priority issues that will influence their vote in the coming elections.
A separate report released by the UN today, to coincide with Earth Day, has found that Europe is the fastest-warming continent on the planet.
They also found that heat-related deaths have increased by 30% in Europe over the last 20 years.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, UCC Sustainable Energy Professor Hannah Daly said public support for climate action is as strong as ever – but our current commitments are “not translating into the rapid cuts to emissions we need”.
Targets
Ms Daly said the biggest steps Ireland can take are linked to reducing fossil fuel use.
“We need to replace it at the source with clean energy, so that’s solar and wind power,” she said.
“We need the infrastructure to bring that around the country, solar panels on roofs and in fields, wind turbines on land and out at sea in the 2030s.
“We also need to replace oil gas and coal use in vehicles, houses, and factories with electricity - so that’s a transition to electric vehicles, e-bikes, electric boilers, heat pumps and the general electrifying of industry.”
7/7/2019. (date photo was taken). The Bog of Allen in County Kildare, 7-7-2019. Image: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ieMs Daly said we also need to “cut wasteful energy use” in Ireland.
“We built our whole transport system around every adult needing their own private car; cars are getting a lot bigger which is wasteful and dangerous,” she said.
“We’re also building lots of data centres in this country which are using a lot of energy – it’s like trying to move down an escalator going upwards.
“If we have far more clean electricity, that will reduce our fuel dependence and bring wide-scale benefits.”
An EV being charged. Image: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Sipa USA)Ms Daly said more work needs to be done in the area of EVs.
“They bring lots of benefits but still have a higher upfront cost," she said.
“It’s paid back over time but people can’t often finance that or are aware of the benefits.
“Still, the sale of fossil fuel cars is greater than EV car sales, so we still need to cut fossil fuel car sales to zero as quickly as possible.
“I think that is possible with more Government support, but it’s not happening quickly enough.”
The new Friends of the Earth report also found some 47% of people in Ireland think ‘we’re not doing enough’ to tackle climate change.
The climate was found to be the fourth major issue of concern in Ireland at present, behind housing, the cost of living, and immigration.
Main image: Aerial image of a Bord Na Mona peat bog in County Kildare. Image: Dominic Byrne / Alamy Stock Photo
