Engaging with the update of Ireland’s National Energy and Climate Plan

Date of Publication: November 2024

The NECP update was a critical moment for Ireland to align its climate policies with both national and EU goals and to strengthen its commitment to a just transition. As Ireland faces increasing pressure to meet its 2030 climate and energy targets, the NECP update provided a unique opportunity to address gaps in existing policies, integrate new climate commitments, and support vulnerable communities most affected by the climate and energy transition. This NECP update also served as a defining moment in Irish and EU climate and energy policy, opening a strategic path to reduce fossil fuel dependence and achieve policy coherence. The update was also essential for Ireland to demonstrate leadership within the EU by creating a comprehensive and forward-looking plan that not only complies with EU regulations but also sets a high standard in transparency, public engagement, and environmental justice. Ireland’s initial NECP (2018/2019) had significant gaps and delays, and the update process in 2023/2024 offered a key opportunity to avoid repeating these mistakes. Unfortunately, the updated NECP submitted by Ireland to the European Commission in July 2024 did not set out a clear path to climate neutrality and a just transition. Ireland’s updated NECP did not meet several mandatory requirements of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action (herein referred to as the Governance Regulation) and failed to align with additional EU directives, such as Regulation (EU) 2018/842 (the Effort Sharing Regulation) and the Strategic Environmental Assessment DirectiveThis document presents a short evaluation that reflects on some of the key themes and issues that emerged as a coalition of civil society organisations, including Environmental Justice Network Ireland (EJNI), attempted to engage in the NECP update process. The views set out in this document reflect only the opinions of the authors. These reflections on a national level case study are important because they shed light on some of the weaknesses in how the existing EU level plan-making processes function in practice. Given the potential revision of the European Climate Law and the Governance Regulation, this is important evidence that should be considered as these processes are reopened.