Ireland will fail to meet national and EU targets for electric cars without a dramatic increase in support by the government, the Climate Council has warned.
The Climate Change Advisory Council, an independent advisory body has been analysing Ireland’s green transition and concludes that the shift is happening too slowly, or is even going in the wrong direction.
Sales of battery electric cars fell by nearly a quarter last year.
“Transport is the biggest source of energy demand in Ireland, and emissions from the sector must halve by 2030 to meet the carbon budget”, the council warns.
“In 2024, transport emissions decreased by about 1.3 percent relative to 2023; however, continuing growth in demand is offsetting gains from more efficient vehicles and the increasing availability and uptake of public transport.
Sales of new battery electric vehicles in 2024 fell by 24 precent, and a substantial increase in charging capacity will be required in 2025 to meet national and EU targets.
Emissions are currently projected to significantly exceed the sectoral emissions ceilings, even in the most optimistic scenario.”
The pressure is on to cut emissions by 2030 when stricter across-the-board climate targets come into force.
The EU has meanwhile outlawed the sale of all petrol and diesel cars by 2035.
With the clock ticking, the Climate Change Advisory Council says it is time for drastic action by the government.
“An increase in new battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations and the achievement of targets for BEV adoption under the Climate Action Plan must be realised. To drive this forward, the Council has recommended that grants of up to €10,000 (for BEVs less than €35,000) are provided for lower income households, particularly in areas with limited access to public transport.”
The Council believes that a big cash injection would provide the incentive for many more people to make the switch.
“In parallel there needs to be an accelerated roll-out of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure alongside the ambitious roll-out of electricity network reinforcement, a measure which is critical to support access to charging for those without off-street parking and the decarbonisation of commercial vehicles.”
Marie Donnelly, Chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council said “urgent and decisive action must now be taken by Government to end our reliance on fossil fuels”.
Action now will “deliver the kind of transformative change that is required in this sector.”