Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Climate Action Plan sets out our level of ambition for decarbonising the commercial built environment.

A detailed roadmap is currently being finalised, led by my Department and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, which is also supported by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research and Science, the SEAI and other agencies. The objectives for the commercial built environment, including the public sector, are a Sectoral Emissions Ceiling of 7 MtCO2eq. for 2021-2025 and 5 MtCO2eq. for 2026-2030.

The Commercial Built Environment Roadmap Working Group have met on three occasions since March 2023 and has discussed a number of issues including the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive (EPBD), the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), relevant data availability, the elements to be included in the roadmap, and their approach to engagement with stakeholders.

As part of the Roadmap work, last summer, I invited relevant business representative organisations and professional bodies, representing the high abatement sectors including hotels, hospitality and tourism; retail; office users and commercial landlords, to meet with my officials in relation to the decarbonisation of the commercial built environment.

The Roadmap will set out the key existing and new policy interventions to achieve the objectives set out to reach the targeted level of abatement from our commercial buildings. The decarbonisation of the commercial built environment will rely heavily on the timely delivery of other policy and regulatory measures including the publication of a National Heat Policy Statement; the supply of district heating infrastructure to decarbonise heating in our commercial buildings and the publication of a Roadmap for the phase out of fossil fuel boilers. The delivery of these measures will be crucial if we are to meet our decarbonisation targets in the commercial built environment.

Some of the recommended implementation actions in the Commercial Built Environment Roadmap include:

The Roadmap is scheduled to be considered and approved by the Working Group later this month and will be published shortly afterwards. As the Working Group becomes an Implementation Group, a 2024 workplan will also be considered and agreed.