Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 February 2021
52. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the degree to which dependency on fossil fuels has been reduced in line with national and international targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9345/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) manages the reporting process on energy consumption data to behalf of my Department. The SEAI Energy in Ireland Report for 2019 shows a reduction in total fossil fuels, as a share of final energy consumption, from 81.9% in 2005 to 75.9% in 2019.
Under the Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC, Ireland committed to meeting a target of at least 16% of gross final energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020. To assist in meeting this target, Ireland set a national target of achieving 40% of electricity produced from renewable sources.
The SEAI report that renewables made up 12.0% of gross final consumption in 2019, and that this avoided 5.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions and over €500 million of fossil fuel imports.
Ireland has adopted a target of a 70% renewable share in electricity production by 2030. This will contribute to meeting the Programme for Government target of reducing Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030, meeting the long-term target of climate neutrality by 2050, and to meeting the EU-wide binding target, under the recast Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2018/2001, of 32% of the overall share of energy to come from renewable sources by 2030 .
