Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2021-2026)
Reporting Period: 2021-2026
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Green Transition
- Digital Transformation
- Social and Economic Recovery
Environmental Achievements
- De-risking a Low Cost Residential Retrofit Loan Scheme
- Accelerate Decarbonisation of the Enterprise Sector
- Public Sector Retrofit Pathfinder Project
- Enable Future Electrification Through Targeted Investment in Cork Commuter Rail
- Enhanced Rehabilitation of Peatland
- River Basin Management Plan - Enhanced Ambition Programme
- Progressing the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill
- Implementation of Base Broadening Carbon Tax measures
Social Achievements
- Work Placement Experience Programme
- Solas Recovery Skills Response Programme
- Technological Universities Transformation Fund
- Reducing Regulatory Barriers to Entrepreneurship
- Strengthening Ireland’s capacity to address Anti-Money Laundering
- Continue to address Aggressive Tax Planning
- Advance Ireland’s Pensions reforms
- Increase the Provision of Social and Affordable Housing
- Progressing the strategic Healthcare reform agenda set out under Sláintecare
Governance Achievements
- Strengthening the statutory framework for more effective governance of the State’s climate objectives
- Implementation of the SME Test to remove unnecessary regulatory obstacles for SMEs
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Carbon neutrality by 2050
Medium-term Goals:
- 51% reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030 compared to 2018 levels
Short-term Goals:
- More than halve carbon emissions over the course of this decade
Environmental Challenges
- COVID-19 pandemic's impact on economy and society
- Climate and biodiversity emergency
- Brexit's implications
- Lagging behind in decarbonisation compared to other EU Member States
- Significant impact of COVID-19 on the social and economic fabric of Ireland, particularly certain sectors and occupations
- Additional skills challenges related to climate, Brexit and automation
- Digital divide
- High unemployment rate
Mitigation Strategies
- National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) investments and reforms
- Income supports, grants, reliefs, taxation measures, and loan guarantees
- Economic Recovery Plan (ERP)
- National Development Plan (NDP)
- Strengthening the mandate and governance of the Further Education and Training (FET) sector
- Investments in FET to upskill, reskill, retrain and provide experience
- Work placement programmes
- Digital transformation of public services
- National Broadband Plan
- Addressing the digital divide and enhancing digital skills through a 10-Year Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy and a new Digital Strategy for Schools