Ireland will “very substantially” miss its 2030 renewables targets due to an absence of urgency in policy delivery, according to the Irish Academy of Engineering.
The Academy said Government policies intended to support renewable deployment are failing to deliver their objectives.
It added that the lack of timely implementation is undermining national 2030 goals and could expose Ireland to “large financial liabilities”.
The report noted that energy-related sectors account for 55% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions.
It said the technologies needed to fully eliminate these emissions by 2050 “do not exist”.
The Academy added that current carbon budgets and sectoral emission ceilings have been set “without adequate regard to engineering realities”.
It said certainty is required that infrastructure for renewables, transmission, distribution and back-up generation will be delivered to meet rising electricity demand.
The Academy called for a rebalancing of national policy towards energy price, energy security and project delivery.
It said future energy planning should reflect engineering constraints, economic impacts and realistic timelines.
It added that Ireland’s emissions are too small globally for national climate neutrality in 2050 to make any difference to Ireland’s climate.