Press release
Energy Summit at Government Buildings
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
The Taoiseach, along with the Tánaiste and Minister Eamon Ryan, today (Thursday) convened an Energy Summit at Government Buildings.
The Summit on Energy Independence: Realising the Opportunities for Ireland brought together representatives from the private, public and voluntary sectors to discuss Ireland’s decarbonisation of its energy systems. The Summit provided an opportunity for participants, whose combined efforts will be vital to delivering Ireland’s climate and energy policies, to discuss how best to position Ireland to reap the environmental, economic and social benefits of moving away from fossil fuels and towards indigenous, renewable energy sources. Participants were also able to share their perspectives and ideas on how the transition can be most effectively undertaken.
Climate change means there is an urgent need to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Russia’s war in Ukraine has also exposed vulnerabilities in Europe’s energy supply that presents Ireland with an added imperative to quickly shift away from imported fossil fuels and to accelerate the exploitation of indigenous, renewable energy that Ireland has in abundance.
The opportunities that the energy transition presents for Ireland are manifest. There is a need to quickly overcome any impediments to progress, accelerate delivery and reap the benefits for the people of Ireland.
Attendees discussed what can be done to accelerate the delivery of renewable energy, how best to ensure energy security and resilience during and after the transition, and ways to realise the economic and social benefits that this transformation presents.
Key questions to be addressed at the summit include:
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said:
“The dual imperative of decarbonising our energy systems for our climate and breaking our reliance on imported fossil fuels presents a real opportunity for Ireland. We must work quickly to harness our abundant renewable energy resources; we have a sea area that is seven times bigger than our landmass and we are home to Europe’s best wind speeds.
"I believe Ireland can become energy independent within a generation. This is our moonshot, giving us energy security and price stability and creating new jobs and industries in all parts of the country, as well as reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. While the scale of the transition to a low carbon economy may seem daunting, we have made considerable progress in recent years and must now build on this so that we can all benefit from the opportunities.”
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said:
“Ireland must embrace the opportunities and challenges that lie before us. I am acutely aware of the profound, existential threats that climate change is already presenting across the globe. Ireland will not be unaffected by this, and we must play our full part in lowering our emissions. Decarbonisation of energy is one way of reducing emissions while benefitting from emerging industries and employment opportunities.
"Security of electricity supply is central to this low-carbon transition. An increasing focus on renewables will secure our own energy independence, and unlock great potential for sustainable economic growth.”
Minister Eamon Ryan said:
“Ireland can and will be good at this transition to a more secure, cleaner and cost-effective way of powering our economy, our homes, our buildings and our transport. We are already one of the leading countries in the world for integrating onshore wind onto our grid.
"Last year, Ireland’s wind farms provided more than a third of the country’s electricity and we are continuing to invest heavily in our electricity infrastructure in order to accommodate increasing proportions of renewable energy from wind and solar over the coming decade and beyond.
"There is no turning back. We signed an agreement for the first interconnector to France last year and we are strengthening our interconnection with the UK. We successfully launched the first offshore wind auction a few months ago and are preparing for phases two and three. It makes such sense for Ireland to harness our own clean, economical, indigenous power rather than remain ransomed to dirty, expensive and unreliable fossil fuels.”
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney added:
“Ireland’s energy transition is a key to our competitiveness and attractiveness as a place for local and global business. Energy security and, increasingly, availability of renewables, has and will put Ireland in a strong position to be at the forefront of the next wave of industrialisation, digitalisation and decarbonisation.
"I am working with colleagues across Government to ensure that businesses can play their part in our pathway to net zero emissions, and I have established a dedicated Unit in my department to progress an Industrial Strategy for Offshore Wind. Our energy system transformation is already underway, and today’s event has highlighted the opportunities available to Ireland if we in government, industry, and broader society, can work together to deliver on them.”
Change is now underway across our economy and society to position Ireland for a low-carbon future. The energy Summit is an occasion to discuss progress to date and plans for the future - where we are doing well, what we might learn from other countries and sectors, and where further or faster action might be required.
The summit will hear from Mr. Brian Motherway of the International Energy Agency, as well as Ms. Susanne Bo Christensen from Denmark’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities.
The Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Minister Eamon Ryan and Minister Simon Coveney will also address the Summit as part of their engagement with participants.