Heat and Built Environment Taskforce

The built environment refers to all types of buildings from homes to schools, hospitals and workplaces. To deliver a sustainable future, we need energy-efficient buildings that are heated by renewable sources. We can decarbonise the built environment through upgrading our existing buildings (retrofitting) and constructing new buildings to high energy efficiency standards. This is a significant challenge and while it requires huge ambition, planning and investment, it offers huge benefits in terms of quality of life and comfort. Moving away from imported fossils fuels like gas and oil to an indigenous renewable supply also offers major economic opportunities, helps us to meet our climate targets and increases our energy security.

The principle of energy efficiency first, as set out in the 2023 Energy Efficiency Directive, is key to decarbonising the built environment. Its starting point is to reduce energy demand, making other energy and climate goals easier to achieve. Measures undertaken to date are already having positive impacts and are reducing overall energy consumption in our buildings. To keep up momentum and achieve our climate and energy goals, we need to ensure that policies on retrofit and renewable heat for all sectors of the built environment are coordinated effectively.

The Heat and Built Environment Taskforce was established in 2023 to accelerate and drive delivery on retrofitting, renewable heat, district heat and decarbonisation of Ireland’s building stock. The Taskforce has identified critical decarbonisation targets and is working to make sure that government departments coordinate their policies and activities to achieve these. The Taskforce Working Groups focus specifically on:

• Industrial Heat Decarbonisation
• Commercial Built Environment
• Public Sector Heat and Built Environment
• Residential Retrofit
• Anaerobic Digestion (AD)/Biomethane
• District Heating
• Unallocated Savings Energy Efficiency and Demand Management

Additional Working Groups may be formed as required.

The Taskforce is chaired by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC). Taskforce members include senior officials from government departments and agencies with responsibility for Climate Action Plan (CAP) actions on retrofitting, renewable heat, district heating networks, decarbonisation of heating and operational energy use optimisation in the building stock.

The Taskforce is working to deliver on the decarbonisation of Ireland’s buildings through its specialised Working Groups. As more buildings are decarbonised and retrofitted, more people can enjoy the benefits of warmer, more comfortable and healthier spaces. While there is lots more to do, work to date to improve environmental, social and economic well-being in our built environment includes:

Industrial Heat Decarbonisation

The Roadmap for the Decarbonisation of Industrial Heat, published in 2024, is a shared plan for Government and manufacturers in Ireland to address emissions from heat use in manufacturing. It outlines the supports available to companies, the regulations to promote decarbonisation, and the enabling measures that will facilitate the green energy transition. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is currently advancing delivery of the enabling measures contained in the Roadmap that will help to unlock opportunities for manufacturers to decarbonise.

Alongside the publication of the Roadmap for the Decarbonisation of Industrial Heat, a ringfenced fund of €300 million was launched to support Ireland’s largest industrial emitters to invest in and decarbonise their manufacturing processes.

Enterprise agencies, such as Enterprise Ireland and IDA, sit on the Industrial Heat Decarbonisation Working Group under the Heat and Built Environment Taskforce and offer their client businesses advice and financial support to enable them to decarbonise their business, from large manufacturers such as Diageo's St James's Gate to supporting the sustainability investments of SMEs. A full list of supports for sustainable business can be found on the National Enterprise Hub website.

Commercial Built Environment

It is expected that a Memorandum for Government in relation to the Roadmap for the Decarbonisation of Commercial Buildings will be finalised shortly. Following consideration and approval from Government the Roadmap will be published on the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment website.

There are a number of key enabling measures identified in the Roadmap to support business to decarbonise their buildings. The initial focus of the Group is on delivering a communication and awareness raising campaign and considering a voluntary code of conduct for commercial tenancy or lease agreements that promotes reduced carbon emissions from commercial businesses.

Public Sector

Through its Pathfinder programme, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) partners with public bodies to achieve their retrofit goals, building capacity and knowledge within the sector.

A Public Sector Decarbonisation Roadmap has been developed and is being prepared for publication.

Residential Retrofit

The VAT rate for heat pumps was reduced to 9% on 1 January 2025

Almost 54,000 home energy efficiency upgrades (including Solar PV) were supported through SEAI in 2024. Over 21,800 of these homes were upgraded to at least B2 standard.

Almost 7,750 homeowners in or at risk of energy poverty were supported under the Warmer Homes Scheme in 2024.

In April 2024 the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme launched The Domestic Heat Pump Installation Incentivisation Scheme for Plumbers was launched in August 2024.

The Final report on Government's Warmth and Wellbeing pilot scheme was published in July 2024. This report, by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, shows clear evidence of the physical and mental health benefits of home energy upgrades

The Traditional Homes Pilot Scheme was launched in October 2024.

975 BER assessors are in place as of end 2024 (from 854 in 2023).

The national campaign "It’s Time to Show Fossil Fuels the Door!" encouraging homeowners to switch to heat pumps was launched in 2024.

Biomethane

The National Biomethane Strategy was published in May 2024. The strategy sets out the challenges and opportunities for the development of the biomethane industry and is focused on government's target to deliver 5.7Twh of indigenously produced biomethane by 2030.

Delivery of the National Biomethane Strategy is supported by the Biomethane Implementation Group established in September 2024.

District Heat

The draft Heads of the Heat (Networks and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill was approved by government in October 2024 to support the development of district heating in Ireland.

A Centre of Excellence in district heating was established within the SEAI in 2024 to provide advice and support to the district heating sector.