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Press release

Government approves Climate Action Plan 2025

Plan puts climate solutions at the centre of Ireland’s social and economic development

The government has today approved Climate Action Plan 2025. It is the third statutory update to the plan since the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 was signed into law, committing Ireland to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 (relative to 2018 levels) and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. It builds on Climate Action Plan 2024, outlining how Ireland will accelerate the actions required to respond to the climate crisis, putting climate solutions at the centre of Ireland’s social and economic development.

Climate Action Plan 2025 is a streamlined Climate Action Plan, to be read in conjunction with Climate Action Plan 2024. It is also the final Climate Action Plan of the first 5-year Carbon Budget – marking an important midpoint in what has been called the decade of climate action.

Commenting on the launch of Climate Action Plan 2025, Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy Darragh O'Brien said:

"It’s 10 years since we signed the original Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act into law in 2015. Climate action has to be seen in that context; years of ambition and hard work have led us to a point where we are finally starting to see meaningful reductions in emissions in Ireland.

"In 2023, emissions reduced by 6.8%. Producing an annual update to the Climate Action Plan allows us to take stock each year to see how we’re doing. Climate Action Plan 2025 is the latest response to that stocktake. But climate action is happening up and down the country every day, with retrofitting and more energy efficient homes, thereby reducing energy bills, with more reliable Local Link bus services connecting towns across Ireland, and more home-grown wind power – driving energy security.

"This is my first Climate Action Plan as Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy. Having seen first-hand how climate action improves the quality of life of citizens and the natural environment of the State, I look forward to continuing with that ambition into the years ahead."

While Ireland is making significant progress in reducing emissions, and initial quarterly emissions data for 2024 is pointing to further decreases, more work needs to be done. Accelerating the implementation of actions and strengthening the climate governance structures in this, and the next Climate Action Plan (Climate Action Plan 2026) will be key if Ireland is to close the emissions gap and stay within the limits of the Carbon Budgets.

Minister of State for the Circular Economy (at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications) Alan Dillon, said:

"Climate Action Plan 2025 marks a pivotal moment in Ireland’s journey toward climate neutrality, embedding circular economy principles across every sector is no longer optional—it’s essential. The transition to a more circular, less wasteful economy is not only good for the environment, it’s a massive opportunity for innovation, competitiveness, and job creation. From reducing material use and designing out waste to supporting repair, reuse and recycling, circularity will be at the heart of our emissions reductions and economic resilience. I look forward to accelerating this progress with communities, businesses, and public bodies across the country."

Minister of State with special responsibility for the Marine (at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications) Timmy Dooley, said:

"Our increased understanding of the impacts of climate change on our marine and coastal environment has helped inform this latest Climate Action Plan. From a climate change perspective, we will continue to carry out scientific and research programmes to improve our knowledge of our marine space. As part of this plan, the establishment of marine protected areas will help enable the protection and conservation of marine biodiversity, and a reduction in emissions from the seafood sector will continue.

"Ireland’s vast maritime territory also offers an untapped resource which can be the cornerstone of our energy transition. The State’s continued commitment of a fit-for-purpose regulatory and planning regime for the marine environment is an important element this plan and builds on work already underway in the maritime regulatory space. A proper regulatory and planning regime will be vital for the development of offshore energy production, but it will also help protect our marine environment."

Climate Action Plan 2025 can be viewed on the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications website.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor

6 vital, high-impact sectors in Climate Action Plan 2025

Electricity

Target
  • 75% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 (compared to 2018)

Progress
  • 26.2% reduction in GHG emissions in 2023 (compared to 2018)

Key recent achievements
  • Powering Prosperity – Ireland’s Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy and the Future Framework for Offshore Renewable Energy Policy Statement were published, setting out how we can harness our offshore wind potential
  • Final results of the fourth onshore RESS (Renewable Electricity Support Scheme) auction were published, which secured a potential 20% increase on our current renewable electricity capacity
  • 534MW of new dispatchable electricity generation capacity and 170MW of new batteries were added to the electricity system to increase our security of supply.
Our plans
  • Achieve 80% of electricity demand being met by renewable sources by 2030
  • Roll out long-duration electricity storage – to maximise the use of renewables
  • Continue improving our electricity grid – to increase the percentage of variable renewables allowed on the grid at once

Built Environment

Residential target
  • 40% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 (compared to 2018)

Residential progress
  • 23.6% reduction in GHG emissions in 2023 (compared to 2018)

Commercial and public buildings target
  • 45% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 (compared to 2018)

Commercial and public buildings progress
  • 8.9% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 (compared to 2018)

Key recent achievements
  • The Tallaght District Heating Scheme commenced operations in 2023 using waste energy from a data centre to supply low-carbon heat to customers
  • In April 2024 the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme was launched to help homeowners make their homes warmer, more energy efficient, and cheaper to run while cutting emissions
  • The government has supported 144,410 home energy upgrades in the period 2019-2023

Our plans

  • Develop policy and legal frameworks to roll out more district heating schemes around Ireland
  • All new homes to be constructed to Nearly Zero Energy Building standard in 2025
  • Deliver 185,000 home energy upgrades between 2019 and 2025

Transport

Target
  • 50% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 (compared to 2018)

Progress
  • 4.2% reduction in GHG emissions in 2023 (compared to 2018)

Key recent achievements

  • Investment in the Active Travel and Greenways network has delivered over 840km in walking and cycling infrastructure between 2021 and 2023 – facilitating greater numbers of Active Travel journeys
  • Passenger numbers on Irish Public Service Obligation (PSO) public transport services exceeded 300 million in 2023, with the annual patronage on TFI Local Link services increasing seven-fold between 2018 and 2023
  • The number of electric vehicles in Ireland has more than tripled since the end of 2021, with 148,000 EVs on Irish roads by the end of 2024

Our plans
  • Continue to invest in new and improved public transport infrastructure
  • Support the transition to electric vehicles
  • Build even more greenways and bicycle lanes around Ireland

Agriculture

Target
  • 25% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 (compared to 2018)

Progress
  • 2.9% reduction in GHG emissions in 2023 (compared to 2018)

Key recent achievements

  • In 2023, agricultural emissions decreased by 4.6% to 20.78 MtCO2eq from 2022
  • In 2023, fertiliser nitrogen use decreased by 18% from 2022
  • As of 2024 we have 220,000 hectares under organic farming. This is nearly halfway to achieving our 2030 target of 450,000 hectares
Our plans
  • Reduce N2O emissions from fertiliser by encouraging the use of protected urea and funding a Nutrient Storage Scheme for farmers
  • Reducing the GHG intensity of beef and dairy farming, while maintaining productivity.
  • Support even more farmers to grow organic food

Industry

Target
  • 35% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 (compared to 2018)

Progress
  • 9.6% reduction in GHG emissions in 2023 (compared to 2018)

Key recent achievements
  • The Roadmap for the Decarbonisation of Industrial Heat was published, laying out a clear and coherent decarbonisation pathway for businesse
  • New guidance to public sector bodies specifying low-carbon construction methods and cement material, helping us to tackle embodied carbon in the public sector
  • Publication of the Green Book: Empowering Ireland’s Renewable Future – a practical guide for manufacturing companies looking to integrate renewables onto their site

Our plans
  • Support Large Energy Users (LEUs) to develop more energy efficient industrial processes
  • Achieve 50–55% share of carbon-neutral heating in industrial fuel demand by 2025
  • Promote the use of timber in construction to reduce emissions and embody carbon

Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry

Scientific knowledge about greenhouse gas emissions from the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector is growing rapidly. As it does, we are learning to more accurately measure emissions from things like grasslands on drained peaty soils. The ongoing emergence of new knowledge in this sector means that it’s difficult to know what the precise emissions are from our land. Therefore, unlike the other sectors LULUCF does not yet have its own Carbon Budget. Instead, the target is to reduce LULUCF emissions by 0.626 MtCO2eq. by 2030 relative to a baseline of the average emissions in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Key recent achievements
  • Forestry Programme launched; 1,651 hectares were forested in 2023, and 1,573 hectares were forested in 2024
  • Bord na Móna has rehabilitated 19,065 hectares of peatlands by January 2025
  • 2,000km of new hedgerows have been delivered under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) up to 2024
Our plans

  • Afforestation rate of 8,000 kilohectares a year to 2030, equating to 8 million trees with 50% of all new forests native or broadleaf
  • Rehabilitate 65,900 hectares of exploited peatlands by 2030
  • Complete the Land Use Review to determine the environmental, ecological and economic characteristics of land types across Ireland