Scenarios for Effective Climate Change Mitigation in Ireland – EPA Research
The EPA has published its report – Synthesis of Literature and Preliminary Modelling relevant to Society-wide Scenarios for effective climate change mitigation in Ireland.
Rapid global warming due to emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) caused by human activities is negatively affecting global climate and ecological systems. Rapid reduction of GHG emissions to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement will require transformational changes in society while maintaining and supporting society’s resilience.
Rapid global warming due to emissions of greenhouse gases caused by human activity is negatively affecting global climate and ecological systems.
Ireland’s energy supply is already moving away from the use of coal and peat, but it will also need to rapidly stop using oil and natural gas. Ireland’s electricity grid is world leading in integrating variable wind energy. However, even greater flexibility, including very large-scale energy storage, will be required in future, as well as substantially electrifying heat and transport energy use.
Transport emissions continue to be strongly coupled to national economic activity. Agricultural emissions decreased in the 2000s but, since 2010, policy to encourage expansion has greatly increased imports of nitrogen fertiliser and feed inputs, resulting in rapidly rising emissions of nitrous oxide from soils and methane emissions from animals. International aviation and other consumption emissions arising outside Ireland’ borders are projected to grow. Projected Irish population growth substantially increases the required rate of decarbonisation.
Source – EPA