Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 February 2022
211. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the progress made by his Department in respect of its targets and goals set out in the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development under the policy remit of his Department; if these targets and goals will be met by their respective deadlines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7277/22]
View answerIreland has adopted a ‘whole-of-Government’ approach to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with each Minister having responsibility for implementing individual SDG targets related to their functions. As Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, I have lead responsibility for targets related to Goal 12 on Sustainable Consumption and Production, Goal 7 on Energy, and Goal 13 on Climate Action. Recent progress in relation to these Goals is out below:
Goal 7: Affordable and clean energyThe first Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) auction for onshore wind and solar projects was held in 2020 with 63 projects currently progressing. The RESS 2 auction process has begun with the auction scheduled to take place in May 2022. It is anticipated that RESS 2 will deliver a major increase in renewable electricity generation by the end of 2024.
The Residential and Community Retrofit Programmes will support the retrofitting of the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2/cost optimal or carbon equivalent and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030. A recently approved package of supports will make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, including a new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme, a specially enhanced grant rate equivalent and Exchequer investment of €8 billion to enable the supply chain to scale up, creating thousands of high quality jobs and delivering on this critical national objective.
A framework of supports is being developed to enable homes, businesses, farms and communities to install renewable generation for their own self-consumption and receive a payment for residual electricity exported to the grid. Approved last December, the Micro-generation Support Scheme will target support for 380MW of installed micro-generation capacity, or circa 69,000 installations between 2022 and 2030. The Clean Export Guarantee tariff represents the first phase of a comprehensive framework for micro-and small-scale generators to receive remuneration from their electricity supplier for all excess renewable electricity exported to the grid.
Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy sets a roadmap for achieving sustainability through shifting the focus away from waste disposal to looking at how we can preserve resources. My Department published Ireland’s first Whole-of-Government Circular Economy Strategy which provides a policy framework for Ireland’s ambition to become one of the leaders in Europe in relation to the circular economy. My Department is also currently finalising the draft Circular Economy Bill, which will provide a statutory basis for various actions discussed in the Waste Action Plan and the Circular Economy Strategy. Ireland’s annual financial contributions to the Global Environment Facility and to the UN Environment Programme provide support to sustainability projects globally.
Goal 13: Climate action
The Climate Action and Low Carbon (Amendment) Act 2021 sets Ireland on a legally binding path to net-zero emissions no later than 2050, and to a 51% reduction in emissions by the end of this decade. The 2021 Climate Action Plan includes additional policies and measures in every sector to bring about the significant changes needed to transform our economy and society. It sets out actions that must be taken in every Government Department and Body to ensure we deliver on the statutory commitments in the Act
Ireland is fully committed to realising the goals of the Paris Agreement, championing progressive action, and ensuring that the most vulnerable are at the heart of all our engagement. Ireland’s international climate finance is targeted at helping the poorest to adapt to climate impacts. At COP26 Ireland committed to more than double its funding for developing countries to tackle climate change by 2025, rising from €93 million to €225 million over the next four years.
