Irish manufacturers get help towards decarbonising

On 23 June, Peter Burke, Ireland’s minister for enterprise, trade and employment, announced a €300 million fund aimed at reducing industrial emissions in Ireland. This funding will be administered by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland to support companies in their efforts to decrease emissions by 2030 through the environmental aid scheme. The environmental aid scheme aims to incentivise and accelerate investments in energy efficiency initiatives, promote the adoption of renewable energy sources, and encourage environmental studies.

Additionally, the decarbonisation of industrial heat roadmap was published, which outlines strategies for reducing heat-related emissions in manufacturing sectors. The roadmap provides guidance on necessary interventions, available support, upcoming regulations, and underlying policies.

The roadmap, developed by the Heat and Built Environment Taskforce under the Department of the Environment, Climate, and Communications, incorporates policies from previous climate action plans and insights from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s national heat study. The taskforce collaborates across government departments and agencies to ensure alignment of policy development and delivery. By addressing industrial emissions, Ireland aims to meet its 2030 abatement target, with a focus on sectors like food and beverage, cement production, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals manufacturing.

Both the environmental aid scheme and the decarbonisation of industrial heat roadmap are part of Ireland’s climate action plan, under which the Irish government has committed to achieving a 51% reduction in emissions across all sectors of the economy by 2030, with the ultimate goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050. These legally binding commitments are outlined in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021.

Dublin-based Garrett Monaghan of Pinsent Masons said: “Ultimately, these measures should assist companies, by providing much needed guidance, as they navigate the ever-evolving landscape of sustainability requirements. They should allow them to strike a balance between economic growth and decarbonisation goals. This balance will be vital for businesses as they seek to position themselves inleading the way in decarbonisation practices.”