Ireland should invest in nature, retrofitting and food and energy security to mitigate against current and future shocks, according to the Environmental Pillar.
At Monday’s National Economic Dialogue, the Environmental Pillar will tell the Government: As demonstrated by the fallout of the US attack on Iran, yet again, Ireland finds itself in the midst of an external shock which has resulted in higher energy and food costs and a cost of living crisis. Yet again, our Government is scrambling for sticking plaster solutions to treat a gaping wound.
Denmark responded to the 1973 oil shock by implementing a radical, long-term transition to renewable energy, increased use of heat networks and district heating, and energy efficiency in buildings.(1)
Now is the time for us to find a Danish solution to an Irish problem. Rather than throwing money at fossil fuel subsidies, we need targeted short-term measures for those in energy poverty and low-income households, while looking long-term to address a number of key issues:
· A national retrofit mobilisation to urgently scale up delivery, for warmer homes, lower costs, and energy security
· Investment in public transport and active travel
· Ensuring that there is a nationwide network of reliable electric vehicle chargers to facilitate transition to EVs, particularly for people in rural Ireland who don’t have the same access to public transport
This is not just about spending more, but about spending wisely to build long-term resilience into our society and support the transition to a Wellbeing Economy that provides for a safe, sustainable and secure future for our people.
For food security, Dr. Oliver Moore of Cultivate and Talamh Beo said
“Ireland remains vulnerable as our agriculture is largely geared towards export of meat and dairy, while most of our fresh fruit and vegetables are imported (2). We are especially vulnerable to global supply chain shocks, with our excessive reliance on fossil fuels, animal feed and fertilizer in our agriculture and exports’ focus. The Government needs to lead on rebalancing our food system, and focus more supports on domestic food supply in these especially fraught times.The infrastructure needed to build more robust local and regional food systems – including community food hubs, regional processing, recognising and resourcing local food producers, better public procurement – must be put in place. This will help with our real food security – our food sovereignty – while also rejuvenating rural communities and benefiting our environment.”
Our society and economy are underpinned by our natural world. The social and economic benefits of nature are huge – by providing essential ecosystem services—such as crop pollination, water filtration, flood mitigation and carbon storage, nature plays the key role in our resilience and security (3). The Government should invest a minimum of €700 million in nature as recommended by the Independent Advisory Committee on Nature Restoration (4). Clare O’Connor, Heat Programme Coordinator at Friends of the Earth said:
“Ireland’s continued reliance on fossil fuels is leaving households exposed to repeated external shocks and volatile energy prices, with many struggling to meet the cost of essential energy needs.”
“Budget 2027 must prioritise immediate, targeted support for those most affected, while accelerating investment in warmer, more energy-secure homes. This means increasing and better targeting supports such as the Fuel Allowance, alongside rapid delivery of home energy upgrades that permanently reduce energy bills.”
“Alongside short-term protection, Government must accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels to ensure long-term energy security, lower household costs and a fairer, more resilient energy system.”Ends.
Notes:
- https://www.nea.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Soren.pdf
- https://www.image.ie/living/giy-founder-mick-kelly-on-the-future-of-irelands-food-security-988662
- https://www.bbc.com/news/business-11606228
- https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/873de736/Independent_Advisory_Committee_on_Nature_Restoration_Report.pdf