An Taisce call on Government to amend its ‘roadmap’ for electricity generation

FRANK McDONALD

An Taisce has called on the Government to amend its “roadmap” for electricity generation so that it’s no longer primarily based on burning fossil fuels.

In a submission to the Department of Energy, Communications and Natural Resources, the environmental charity says the roadmap needs to include reductions in energy demand and limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

“Given the urgency required to address climate change and the slowness of delivering new low carbon electricity supply, very large investments in electricity demand reduction are now required to provide both energy saving and energy efficiency.”

James Nix, An Taisce's policy director, said: "Despite using rhetoric portraying a low carbon future, Ireland's draft Electricity Generation Roadmap is unclear, scientifically deficient and ignores the commitments Ireland made at Copenhagen [in 2009]."

To achieve the internationally agreed target of limiting the rise in average global surface temperatures by cutting emissions of greenhouse gases meant that at least 80 per cent of currently known fossil fuel reserves “must remain in the ground”, he added.