Climate 'laggard' Ireland risks 26 bn euros EU fine: report

Ireland is currently on course to miss its commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions widely blamed for climate change, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and the Climate Change Advisory Council warned in their joint report.

If climate action is not ramped up Ireland could face a bill of between 8 and 26 billion euros, the two advisory councils to the Irish government added.

"Without action to reduce emissions now, Ireland will face avoidable costs," the report said.

The wide range between 8 billion and 26 billion euros illustrates the high degree of uncertainty involved including around costs if the EU as a whole misses its targets, it added.

Marie Donnelly, chairwoman of the Climate Change Advisory Council, described Ireland as a "standout laggard".

Ireland is underperforming on targets for increasing its share of renewable energy use and improving energy efficiency - all part of the EU's effort to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Irish taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin said Tuesday that Ireland has "accelerated plans" to address climate change challenges, and promised even more expenditure on the country's energy grid.

He also pointed to "successful" on-shore renewables, adding the "next big push would be offshore".

His deputy Simon Harris said there needs to be "a turbo charging" of existing measures not yet enacted.

Irish emissions targets for transport, buildings, small industry, waste and agriculture will overshoot by around 57 percent on current trajectories, said Tuesday's report.

While renewable energy generation is on course for a shortfall of 12 percent.

Under EU legislation adopted in 2018 if a state emits more than allowed it must buy the difference from other nations which are doing better on their own targets.

While many EU countries are missing their 2030 targets, Ireland lies at the bottom of the table in per capita terms according to the EU statistics body Eurostat.

Although the worst-case projection in Tuesday's report would mean a payout to EU partners of potentially 26 billion euros, the bill could more than halve if the government enacts measures already set out in its existing climate action plan.

"The government would need to be even more ambitious to reduce the costs further," said the report.