Energy

An Taisce Response to Bord Na Móna Confirmation of Shipment of Woody Biomass Material for Burning in Co Offaly Peat Station, as Part of Phased Plan to Substitute Biomass for Peat in Co Offaly and Co Longford Power Stations

An Taisce recognises that the government’s newly published Climate Action Plan could signal a genuine shift away from the token gestures and empty promises of the last decade and a move towards potentially meaningful and measurable climate action. However, An Taisce climate committee’s preliminary analysis suggests that the Action Plan still falls well short of the kind of radical, transformational change that our recently declared national ‘climate and biodiversity emergency’ warrants.

As a prescribed body under Article 28 of the Planning and Development Regulations, 2001 (amended), An Taisce is involved in reviewing planning applications referred by the planning authority.

Over the last year, there have been a number of applications for energy-intensive development including data centres.

As the IDA is promoting Ireland as a global centre for data storage, Ireland needs to set international leadership in energy efficiency through the use of zero-carbon energy.

An Taisce and Biofuelwatch are organising and event entitled "Is Biomass a climate solution – Bord Na Mona’s plan to import US timber"

It will be held in Tailors' Hall on Thursday 8th March from 19:00 to 21:30

Submissions are due today on the draft National Planning Framework – Ireland 2040 Our Plan [1]

An Taisce’s submission[2] acknowledges the proposals to consolidate development in our cities, towns and villages to avoid wasteful sprawl and promote walkable communities that encourage healthy life styles and civil society.

However, Ian Lumley, Advocacy Officer, An Taisce stated “It is essential that the NPF acknowledges a global environment of increasing climate impact and ecological destruction."

In May 2016, the Commission launched the Environmental Implementation Review (EIR), an analysis over a period of two years aimed at improving the implementation of existing EU environmental policy and legislation. As a first step, the Commission drafted reports on the 28 member states, in order to identify environmental challenges and opportunities. The aim in producing these reports has been to bring about communication over common environmental challenges within the EU and also the best ways to address major issues in implementation.

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) subsidy aims to make savings against penalties likely to be incurred by Ireland for not meeting the EU 20% Renewables­ by­ 2020 obligation. However, the Consultation Document fails to show that it will in fact save public money. An RHI would commit the State to long­-term funding of a biofuel heat sector despite there likely only being a couple of years to make savings against compliance costs. There are financial, administrative, air pollution and climate reasons to avoid expansion of domestic