Government must urgently act to close Ireland’s widening emissions gap, new report warns

• Recent data shows that Ireland needs urgent change of tack to meet legally binding emissions targets
• As Dáil resumes, Government urged to immediately publish well-overdue 2026 Climate Action Plan 
• Failure to get emissions down hurting people at home and abroad
• Government is removing instead of prioritising climate obligations on public bodies 

16 September 2026 - Ireland is failing in its legal obligation to cut emissions at the pace and scale needed, while Climate Minister Darragh O’Brien has still not produced a long-overdue updated Climate Action Plan to address this, warns a new report launched as the Dáil returns today by a coalition of more than 40 Irish civil society organisations and international development charities.

Ireland passed a landmark Climate Law in 2021, which set a national target of halving emissions by 2030 compared to 2018 levels, in line with EU agreements. However, it remains the country with the second highest emissions per capita in the EU, and recent estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highlight that even with the full implementation of planned policies, Ireland is set to reduce emissions by only 25% by 2030, less than half of the national target of 51%.

As the Dáil returns from its summer recess, Irish environmental and international development organisations are urging TDs and the Government to address what they are calling the ‘emissions gap’ – the widening gulf between Ireland’s current emissions trajectory, an outdated Climate Action Plan that falls well short of the action needed, and the path required to meet our 2030 targets. Furthermore, the Government has weakened the climate law by removing from recent legislation obligations on public bodies to act consistently with climate policy, putting progress towards climate targets at risk. 

The Stop Climate Chaos (SCC) Coalition ‘Ending Fossil Power’ report is calling on Minister Darragh O’Brien to urgently publish the much-delayed 2026 Climate Action Plan, which must contain new policies and measures to close the gap and bring Ireland into compliance with carbon budgets and its 2030 target. The Climate Action Plan should also contain a clear commitment to preserve the integrity of the Climate Law and outline how public bodies will comply with their climate obligations.  

Seán McLoughlin, Christian Aid Ireland’s Policy and Advocacy Officer said: “A disregard for its own climate law and a failure to publish a new climate action plan has left this government looking like a boat without a rudder when it comes to climate action. It’s not good enough to just shrug your shoulders about missing climate targets when lives and livelihoods are on the line, both at home and abroad. This report has mapped out what the Government can and should be doing from day one of this Dáil resuming and we urge them to get their skates on if we are to have any chance of closing the emissions gap.”

A key driver of Ireland’s failure to make a real dent in its emissions lies with its prioritisation of profit over planet, from the development and expansion of data centres, which guzzle electricity from the national grid, to enabling investment in the global fossil fuel industry. This is compounded by decisions that lock Ireland into continued reliance on fossil fuels by approving the development of a €900 million state-owned liquified natural gas terminal, according to SCC’s report.

A failure to address the emissions gap will continue to see communities hit hard by the climate crisis. In October 2023, 36-hours of continuous rainfall during Storm Babet flooded 600 homes and 300 businesses in Middleton Co Cork causing roughly €200 million in damage. Ireland’s facilitation of investments in the global fossil fuel industry is also directly contributing to climate breakdown across the world. Just last month, the death and destruction caused by the glacial collapse along the Nepal-Tibet border demonstrates the devastating impact of rising temperatures from global emissions. It also shows the urgent need for Ireland and other historically high-polluting countries to pay their fair share towards a fully funded Loss and Damage Fund to help communities recover from climate catastrophes.

Karol Balfe, CEO of ActionAid Ireland said: “Countries like Nepal are already suffering devastation from climate change impacts. Nepal contributes 0.1% to global emissions, and yet it is paying a heavy price of our inaction. As well as being behind in reducing our emissions, Ireland is behind in contributing our fair share in providing financial and technical means to those countries and communities most affected, and least responsible for global warming. This is a matter of justice and human rights. Ireland must increase its own ambition and use its presidency of the EU Council to drive Europe to take further action.”

The report argues that, without a switch to clean, affordable energy, people will continue to suffer from repeated cost of living crises due to rising energy costs driven by global shocks, such as the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

Jerry Mac Evilly Head of Policy in Friends of the Earth said: “The Climate Action Plan should commit to upholding the Climate Act and set out how public bodies like the CRU and GNI will ensure their work is consistent with Ireland’s climate goals and policies. The Government must also put in place clear plans with milestones and deadlines to cut Ireland’s dependence on fossil fuels, especially gas. This must also mean reversing its decisions to build a new liquified natural gas terminal and prioritising instead a clean, resilient and zero-carbon energy system. By cutting demand and rapidly scaling homegrown renewables and storage, Ireland can reduce its exposure to harmful and shock-prone fossil fuels, while delivering more secure and affordable energy for households and communities.”

Despite not being a major fossil fuel producer, Ireland plays an outsized role as an enabler of investment in the fossil fuel industry, through its status as an international financial hub. Action Aid and Trócaire research found that Irish-based subsidiaries of multinational investment companies held €31.76 billion in fossil fuel investments, 91% of which was in corporations with plans to expand fossil fuels.

Oxfam Ireland CEO Jim Clarken said: “The Government must step up and enable Ireland to play its part in the global shift to renewable energy. This is the moment to prioritise
planet before the profits of big tech, financial and fossil fuel interests. Data centres already consume over 20 per cent of Ireland's electricity and are projected to consume almost one-third of grid power by 2030."

"We urge the Government to impose a moratorium on new data centres connecting to the grid until the electricity system has been fully decarbonised and data centres can operate within Ireland's legally binding emissions reduction commitments. At a time when climate-fueled disasters are devastating communities around the world, from deadly flash floods in Nepal to deadly heatwaves across Europe, Ireland cannot continue with policies that allow ever-expanding energy demand from data centres to undermine climate action.”

The report also calls for Ireland to use its EU Presidency to ensure that long-promised but badly under-delivered financial support is available to support communities living on the frontline of the climate crisis adapt to its worst effects as well as help them rebuild and recover when climate disasters strike.

Read the report here