Submission: Ireland’s National Long Term Strategy

It is vital that the National Long-Term Climate Action Strategy (nLTS) demonstrates how Ireland will achieve complete decarbonisation across all sectors of the economy, including transport, housing, aviation and shipping.

This submission recommends five key areas to include in the revision of the nLTS. These are:

1. Set, and achieve ambitious, climate targets: Relative to other EU member states, and a good faith interpretation of the Paris Agreement temperature goals, Ireland’s net zero by 2050 at the latest target is not sufficiently ambitious. The nLTS should be used as an opportunity to increase ambition. Key areas for inclusion are:

• A commitment to decarbonisation by 2035 and net negative emissions thereafter;
• Identification, quantification, and implementation of very substantial new measures to close the emissions gap for carbon budgets 1 and 2;
• A commitment to at least a 95% reduction in emissions by 2035 relative to 1990 level to prevent overreliance on removals.

2. Phase Out Fossil Fuel Importation and Production: Fossil fuels account for 57% of Ireland’s total greenhouse gas emissions. It is imperative that we aim to phase out both the importation and production of fossil fuels by 2035 in Ireland. Key areas for inclusion are:

• Abide by the Energy Efficiency First Principle;
• Impose a Moratorium on Data Centre Development;
• End the expansion of Ireland’s gas network;
• Pass the Planning and Development (Liquefied Natural Gas – LNG) Amendment Bill into law;
• End current licences for fossil fuel exploration;
• Commit to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and ending energy poverty.

3. Housing and Climate Justice: Those without adequate housing and shelter are disproportionately exposed to climate change and other environmental harms, despite least contributing to the issue. The nLTS needs to focus on housing and climate justice. Key areas for inclusion are:

• Address vacant and derelict property sites;
• Increase retrofit ambition within social housing, the private rental sector, community awareness of retrofit opportunities and targeted measures for the Traveller community;
• End the installation of fossil fuel heating boilers.

4. Transport: Only 1% of the global population is responsible for 50% of the emissions from commercial aviation. Key areas for inclusion are:

• Invest in and upscale the Local Link Services to provide affordable and reliable public transport across the country;
• Ensure public transport is disability-inclusive;
• Set a date for phasing-out sales of CO2-emitting new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles prior to 2035;
• Include all aviation and shipping emissions in the nLTS [and into carbon budgets 3 and 4];
• Mandate corporations with most frequent flyers to set a target to reduce their air travel emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels;
• Include a provision to outlaw private jets and domestic flights;
• Empower Local Authorities to create Low Emission Zones.

5. Just Transition: Long-Term Climate Action Strategies must include the “expected socio-economic effect of the decarbonisation measures, including, inter alia, aspects related to macro-economic and social development, health risks and benefits and environmental protection.” Key areas for inclusion are:

• Identify the social challenges expected from the nLTS;
• Ireland’s revised nLTS must contain proper just transition strategy to address those challenges – within and across all sectors of the economy (such as transport, industry, and construction);
• Accelerate the establishment of a Just Transition Commission.