Policy information
Transport and Climate Change
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In response to the challenges of climate change, achieving a cost-effective way of reducing emissions is the key priority. Ensuring that transport infrastructure and services will be able to withstand the likely future impacts of climate change is also a serious concern.
Mitigation
Climate Change mitigation is defined in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 as ‘any human intervention aimed at reducing harmful influences on the earth’s climate system, including action aimed at reducing emissions and creating or enhancing sinks’.
Ireland's first National Mitigation Plan was published by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Climate Action in 2017 represents an initial step to set us on a pathway to achieve the level of decarbonisation required and initiated the process of developing medium to long term mitigation choices for the next and future decades. The National Development Plan, published in 2018 as part of Project Ireland 2040, contains measures to encourage a transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient society, including increased funding for public and active transport. These measures were expanded upon in Climate Action Plan, which commits to achieving a net zero carbon energy systems objective for Irish society and in the process, create a resilient, vibrant and sustainable country. The Department of Transport has responsibility for a number of actions and targets under these plans and must report on a regular basis on its progress towards achieving these targets. Both the National Development Plan and the Climate Action Plan are currently undergoing a review.
Adaptation
Climate change creates new vulnerabilities and worsens existing ones. There is a lot of uncertainty about how, when and where the impacts of climate change will be experienced in Ireland but there is enough data available to start working to build resilience against the likely impacts over the coming decades.
The first adaptation plan for the transport sector, Developing Resilience to Climate Change in the Irish Transport Sector, was published in November 2017. The Plan outlines climate research and analysis on the likely impacts of climate change for transport – including more frequent storm events, rising sea levels and increased incidents of flooding. The Plan also highlights the positive ongoing work in climate change adaptation within the transport sector and other sectors.
Under the provisions of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 and the National Adaptation Framework, a Sectoral Adaptation Plan for Transport Infrastructure was required to be developed by the Minister for Transport. The published Plan, along with supporting SEA and AA Assessments and the Report of Public Consultation Submissions, was published in November 2018.
Further and more detailed Information on the predicted impacts of climate change on Ireland and on a range of adaptation options for Ireland is available on Climate Ireland.
Climate change requires transport systems to transition to sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels.
The Department of Transport is supporting the implementation of a range of low-carbon fuel technologies through a range of analysis and initiatives:
Low-Emissions Vehicles Taskforce
In December 2016, DECC and the Department of Transport, with the support of the Department of the Taoiseach, established a Low-Emissions Vehicles Taskforce to consider the range of measures and options available to government for the purpose of accelerating the deployment of low carbon vehicles in the transport sector.
The role of the Taskforce was to examine and make recommendations on a range of potential stimuli, such as grants, tax incentives, tolls and parking. Other issues such as infrastructure, legislation and public leadership were also part of the work programme.
The work programme of the Taskforce was divided into two distinct phases. The first phase focused exclusively on electric vehicles (EVs), specifically battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). A progress report was published in September 2018.
The second phase of the Taskforce’s work programme focused on other low emission vehicle types such as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied natural gas (LNG), Biogas and Hydrogen. It also examined planning legislation and building regulations for all low emission vehicles – including the potential for the planning system to put in place requirements for the provision for electric vehicle charging. This phase has completed its work and the progress report was published in November 2019.
Low-Emission Bus Trials
Under the National Development Plan, Ireland has committed to no longer purchase any more diesel-only buses for the urban public bus fleet and to transition to low-emission bus technologies, such as electric buses, in line with the Bus Connects programme. Extensive work has been underway to prepare for this transition in our Public Service Obligation (PSO) fleets; the Department of Transport, together with the National Transport Agency, Dublin Bus, and Bus Eireann commissioned a comprehensive series of bus trials to help inform future procurement decisions.
A broad range of different fuels and technologies were tested on real bus routes in Dublin City and Cork City. The buses were fitted with Portable Emissions Measurements Systems (PEMS) which will measure the exhaust emissions of the vehicle as it travels. Phase 1 of the bus trials commenced in December 2018 and the different technologies tested included:
The buses were trialled on the Number 9 route in Dublin City and on the Number 207a route in Cork City allowing performance analysis over a range of topographical conditions. The trials considered not only CO2 emissions, but the impact on air quality, the contribution potential towards sectoral renewable energy targets as well as other criteria such as costs, fuel economy, availability and infrastructural requirements for each low-emission technology tested.
The outcomes of the original trials were published in the Report on Diesel- and Alternative-Fuel Bus Trials in December 2019. In November 2020, Phase 2 of the trial commenced with the testing of two hydrogen fuel cell electric buses. A detailed report outlining the Phase 2 trial findings will follow in due course.
Alternatively Fuelled Heavy-Duty Vehicle Purchase Grant Scheme
The Alternatively Fuelled Heavy-Duty Vehicle Purchase Grant Scheme (AFHDV Scheme) supports the purchase of new, non-retrofitted large vans, trucks, buses and coaches with an unladen design gross weight of more than 3.5 tonnes. It is intended to help bridge the difference in purchase price between conventional heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), and those powered by alternatively-fuelled power-trains that offer environmental benefits over standard diesel vehicle technologies.
To accord with EU State Aid rules, grant levels under the Scheme will be set as a percentage of the cost differential between a conventionally-fuelled HDV and its alternatively-fuelled equivalent. Maximum grant levels per vehicle will be dependent on the size of the enterprise or undertaking applying for the grant, i.e. whether it can be categorised as ‘small’, ‘medium’ or ‘large’.
Currently, the AFHDV Scheme is at an advanced design stage. When launched, application forms and details of the new Scheme (including terms and conditions, grant eligibility, supported vehicle categories and grant support levels) will be made available online.
Biofuels
Biofuels are renewable liquid or gaseous fuels used in transport and are created from biomass material. In general, biofuels are typically deployed blended with fossil fuels in Ireland with bioethanol blended with gasoline in petrol (up to 5% volume) and biodiesel blended with fossil diesel (up to 7%). Bioethanol is typically produced from crops such as corn, wheat and sugar cane with biodiesel produced from oil crops such as rapeseed as well as from wastes such as used cooking oil and animal fats.
The use of biofuels brings a wide range of environmental benefits including the reduction of greenhouse gas and other emissions. Additionally, increasing demand for biofuels provides opportunities for their production in Ireland.
The Biofuels Obligation Scheme was introduced in 2010 and is administered by the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) . It is a certificate based scheme which sets out an obligation that suppliers of road transport fuels must include a certain percentage of environmentally sustainable biofuels across their general fuel mix. The scheme works by ensuring that each supplier fulfils their requirement by having the necessary number of biofuel certificates required.
A consultation was held in December 2017 and January 2018 on the Biofuels Obligation Scheme. The responses informed the publication of a Biofuel Obligation Scheme Policy Statement which was published in April 2018. In order to provide certainty to obligated parties, the Statement set out six key actions that the Minister for Transport intends to implement to 2030 in the biofuels policy area.
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) held another consultation in 2019 seeking views relating to the future development of the Biofuels Obligation Scheme for the period 2021 to 2030. 42 submissions were received by the closing date of 15 November 2019 and they will inform the development of the Scheme. This is action 77a under the Climate Action Plan. .
Low Emissions Vehicle Toll Incentive (LEVTI) Scheme
The Department of Transport, in conjunction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), administers the Low Emissions Vehicle Toll Incentive (LEVTI) Scheme for EV drivers. This Scheme enables EV drivers to avail of discounted rates across a number of toll roads, with a 50% toll discount for BEVs and a 25% toll discount for PHEVs, to a maximum value of €500 for private vehicles and €1,000 for goods vehicles and SPSVs.
All BEVs are eligible for the LEVTI Scheme, while PHEVs with CO2 emissions of 50gm per km or less are eligible. Goods vehicles are eligible if they meet these criteria and have a vehicle design gross weight not exceeding 3,500 kg. Conventional hybrid vehicles are not covered by the Scheme. Participating vehicles must be registered and approved for the Scheme by LEVTI Toll Tag Providers. Vehicles can only be registered once for the LEVTI Scheme i.e. the vehicle cannot be registered with more than one Toll Tag Provider.
Electrification of transport represents a key part of the transition to low-carbon mobility system, and the Programme for Government commits to 936,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on Irish roads by 2030. The National Policy Framework on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure for Transport in Ireland, published in May 2017, sets out the need to develop publicly accessible fast chargers to support growth in electric vehicles (EVs). This is equivalent to one-third of circa 2.8 million vehicles that are currently on the road in Ireland.
The number of electric vehicles in Ireland has grown significantly in recent years. It is expected that, with the introduction of more models of EVs with longer drive ranges by an increasing number of manufacturers, the current trend will continue. This growth will continue to be supported by government measures and the work of DECC, so that Ireland can meet its climate targets and transition away from the dominance of fossil fuel vehicles in private transport. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) hosts information about EVs at www.drivingelectric.ie including details on models available in Ireland, business vehicles and available grants.
Electric Vehicle Policy Pathway Working Group
The Electric Vehicle Policy Pathway (EVPP) Working Group was established to produce a roadmap on the optimum mix of regulatory, taxation, and subsidy policies to drive significant ramp-up in passenger EV and electric van sales from very early in this decade, pursuant to Action 79 in the Climate Action Plan (CAP). The Working Group examined how existing and further measures could be implemented to increase the rate of EV uptake in line with CAP targets, and with the Government’s overall ambition to decarbonise the transport sector. A report from the Working Group is due to be published in 2021.
EV Charging Infrastructure
There are a number of ways to charge an electric vehicle (EV), and while the experience can be similar to refuelling a diesel or petrol car, there are fundamental differences as well as much more flexibility and independence for the consumer when it comes to an EV. Having considered international best practice as well as the best options for Irish consumers, the government has set out a hierarchy for the promotion of different types of for EV charging:
Home charging is considered the primary method of charging for the majority of EVs in Ireland and is considered the least expensive form of charging, especially when utilising a night rate. It accounts for around 80% of EV charging sessions and will continue to be the primary method of charging in the future. Government policy will seek to maintain this high level of home charging. The Electric Vehicle Home Charger Grant was introduced in early 2018 to help homeowners install an electric vehicle charge point on their property. This scheme provides grants of up to €600 towards the purchase and installation of a home charger unit. The scheme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
On-street charging is considered necessary for owners of electric vehicles who do not have access to a private parking space. The provision of on-street charging also provides the opportunity for people to park and charge their electric vehicle. Since September 2019, the Public Charge Point Scheme has been in place to provide funding to local authorities for the development of on-street public chargers. The scheme is administered by the SEAI and is detailed in the Climate Action Plan under action 72a.
Location/destination charging includes chargers provided at hotels, shopping centres, visitor attractions, places of employment, private car parks etc. Such chargers are considered a feature that can, and will be, provided as a service for the benefit of the customers and/or employees. These chargers will be of varying power, depending on the location. The Department is making €2 million available this year through the SEAI to support the installation of destination charge points. This new initiative will help provide another critical link in the overall network for public charging.
Fast charging in 2020 allows the majority of current electric vehicles to charge around 80% in 20 minutes or so. Fast charging tackles the ‘range anxiety’ associated with electric vehicles, particularly for long distance journeys. Fast chargers are mainly located on National Primary Routes and areas of high traffic concentration.
A network of over 700 publicly accessible charge points is already available, including roughly 100 fast chargers, which are mainly found on national routes. The majority of these chargers have been rolled out by the ESB through its eCars programme, a map location of chargers is available online.
ESB eCars Project
The https://esb.ie/ecars/our-network/network-upgrades has allocated up to €10 million to a project from ESB eCars, which will be co-funded by a further €10 million from ESB, that will further enhance the current network and complete a nationwide EV charging network capable of facilitating large-scale electric vehicle uptake over the next decade. This project is referred to in the Climate Action Plan under action 72b.
This project includes the installation of 140 fast chargers consisting of 90 150kW chargers, each of which will be capable of charging two vehicles simultaneously and upgrading 50 existing standard chargers to 50kW chargers The project will also involve replacing over 500 existing standard charge points with next generation high reliability models. This project will result in an increase in the number of fast chargers which will be mainly located along the motorway network and is expected to complete in 2022. A full breakdown of the works includes:
Updates on progress of this project can be found at here.
Companies such as Ionity, Tesla, and EasyGo also have a number of fast chargers available for public use. It is expected that the market for fast charging will continue to grow with more private companies becoming involved in the expansion of the network.
The government has already committed significant funding to support EVs through the National Development Plan which includes an allocation of €200 million for the period 2018-2027. The Department of Transport provides the following supports which are delivered by the SEAI:
Current Government incentives to support EV purchases also include:
Electric SPSV Grant Scheme
The Electric SPSV (eSPSV) Grant Scheme supports the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in the Small Public Service Vehicle (SPSV) sector (taxis, hackneys, and limousines). In recognition of the important role the sector plays in decarbonizing the broader transport system, the scheme has increased from €2m in 2020 to €15m in 2021, with grants of up to €20K now available to existing SPSV drivers who scrap older, high mileage vehicles for new full electric models with a further €2,500 available to convert it to a wheelchair accessible model.
With the support of the Department of Transport, dedicated charging infrastructure is currently being developed across the country. Last year, chargers were installed at Dublin and Cork airports, as well as at Dublin Heuston, Cork Kent and Limerick Colbert train stations, with more installations at key transport hubs to be completed in 2021. SPSV drivers can avail of further financial incentives including VRT relief (up to €5,000), the Domestic Charger Scheme (up to €600), and annual toll refunds (up to €1,000). The eSPSV Scheme is funded by the Department of Transport and administered by the NTA. For further information on the grant and how to apply, visit www.nationaltransport.ie .
The Urban Transport-Related Air Pollution Working Group (UTRAP) was formed in autumn 2019, to consider and address rising concerns about the level of transport-generated air pollution in certain areas. The UTRAP Group is co-chaired by the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The UTRAP Working Group was established to achieve six objectives. These are reflected in the Terms of Reference which were established for the group, and which are summarised as follows: