Ireland

Ireland has recovered remarkably from the economic crisis which started in 2008 and has the fastest growing economy among all IEA countries since 2014, when GDP exceeded pre-crisis levels. Energy use has increased with GDP growth but still remains under the 2006 peak, partly reflecting the structural shift in the economy toward dominance by the services sector. However, the government’s strategy to establish Ireland as a preferred location for the global digital and data hosting industry, will potentially result in strongly growing electricity demand. This makes fast decarbonisation of the electricity system a necessity.

Despite the progress made, Ireland is not on course to meet its mandatory emissions reduction and renewable energy targets for 2020. Furthermore, there are questions about Ireland’s ability to meet the 2030 emission reduction targets, though the impact of the most recent policies announced by the Government is not yet reflected in the latest emission pathway projections.

Last updated Dec 16, 2021