Government ‘stupid’ for not doing more to encourage electric car use – Bradley
3rd Nov 2016 by: Solar 21
Solar 21 has urged the Government to build on its Energy White Paper and start putting policies in place, including support for solar energy for residents and communities.
“Ireland has only achieved just over half of the target it previously committed to. The target was to derive 16pc of national energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020, but the performance-to-date is just 8.6pc. The 8.6pc will rise by 2020, but we’ll still be miles off our target,” he said.
The calls from Mr Bradley come after new figures from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland point to a major spike in emissions from traffic across the country.
The Government ratified the Paris Agreement last week, which is a UN treaty that aims to reduce emissions and keep global warming at a low level.
Emissions from cars, trucks, and buses are back to boom-time levels after increasing by almost 6pc in 2015.
In the last three years emissions from traffic has risen by 14pc.
Ireland’s emissions are broken up into four main areas according to the authority.
Transport is the biggest contributor with 37pc, followed by residential, which takes up a quarter of the country’s emissions, followed by industry, and finally services.
Mr Bradley said the Government needs to switch its focus from “the great white hope” that is wind to solar power.
“The development of windfarms is being blocked all over the country by planning objections. Solar energy is much less obtrusive and therefore a much more realistic an option.”
The above article by Michael Cogley appeared in the Irish Independent on 3rd November 2016.