Mr. Caoimhín Ó Ciaruáin:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and committee members for this opportunity. The Ó Ciaruáin following Caoimhín always trips people up. As of today, I head up the climate action division in the Department. I am joined today by Dr. Aoife O'Grady, who heads up the climate delivery division, which looks after electrical and demand management policies, and by Ms Andrea Lennon, who heads up our energy, air and adaptation division, which includes policies relating to renewables and biofuels for transport.

As members will know, the transport sector, at the last count, accounts for approximately 18% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions. Covid-19 had a temporary suppressing effect on emissions from transport but that does not lessen the need for fundamental changes to the transport system. Transport behaviour is deeply embedded in how and where we work and live. This makes the challenge in delivering the required reduction in transport a systemic and challenging one. However, the prize is worth it. There are many significant co-benefits for all of us from more sustainable travel in terms of quality of life and health benefits. It will result in quieter streets and neighbourhoods, free from noisy traffic and fumes, and more livable towns and cities with better air quality and less urban congestion.

In transport, the Climate Action Plan 2021, CAP21, sets out a roadmap to deliver a range of between 42% and 50% in carbon reduction by 2030. The pathway for decarbonizing transport is multilayered, combining significant behavioural change and technology adoption. It is premised on the avoid-shift-improve approach to achieve the level of transformation required over the longer term. It still requires individual choices and action on a daily basis and no less than a significant mindset shift in terms of how we travel. The pathway for the next decade focuses on the following measures: first, a significant modal shift to sustainable transport modes, away from fossil-fuelled cars to public transport and active travel modes; second, accelerating the electrification of road transport, particularly the private car but also public transport; and, third, increased use of biofuels within existing technologies.

Modal shift to sustainable mobility will be achieved through a significant increase in public transport and active travel infrastructure and services, allied with the introduction of measures to disincentivise the use of the traditional fossil-fuelled vehicle, so-called demand management measures. This category of sustainable mobility and demand management measures will deliver the greatest impact over the longer term. These measures will require significant buy-in across the system, working closely with stakeholders, including other Departments, local authorities, the enterprise sector, the political system and, particularly, and most of all, the citizen.

The electrification of the passenger car fleet is ambitious and necessary. The climate action plan envisages a future where Ireland’s roads are ultimately free from fossil fuel cars. In this regard, we are leading the way with public sector fleets and providing supports for private car users to make that switch. There are acknowledged challenges on this journey but the destination is clear.

Increased use of biofuels in existing technologies will continue to make a significant contribution to decarbonising transport in the medium term while we transition to lower and zero-emission transport modes.

There are more than 70 actions set out in the transport chapter of CAP21, many of which fall within the policy remit of the Department of Transport and its agencies. There are also actions across CAP21 that will support and facilitate the decarbonization of transport, particularly in terms of planning, energy, enterprise and taxation.

The national development plan ring-fences a significant level of Exchequer investment for transport, focusing in particular on public transport, active travel and electric vehicle, EV, infrastructure, that will be mobilised to support our carbon reductions targets. The pathway here will be very challenging for the sector. The Department will ensure that delivery is accelerated where possible in order to maximise the overall carbon reduction impacts in a manner that is timely, fair and equitable.

The climate action plan identifies a gap to target of 0.9 Mt CO2 eq in respect of anticipated growth in travel demand during the intervening period. We are engaging in a review to refine measures to see what can be done to make up that gap in a fair and equitable manner over the course of the coming months. This recognises that the decarbonisation of transport will impact in different ways on different cohorts of the population and sectors of the economy. Optimising the wider economic and societal benefits as we move forward is critical.

The Department will continue to focus resources on cross-Government and cross-sectoral collaboration in modelling and research. It is clear that the assumptions we make now on the pathways to the decarbonisation of transport may not hold and will need to evolve as technology and behaviours change over time.

As I said, my colleagues and I are more than happy to take any questions.