growing the green economy

7/25/2019 Growing the Green Economy

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Growing the

Green Economy

Labour Green Economy Paper.indd 1 05/02/2016 17:44



Growing the Green Economy2

Our Plan• Establish a green infrastructure fund worth€1bn. We recognise the need to fund

immediate action on climate change. We will use €500m from the disposal of the planned saleof 25% of AIB shares to establish this fund.

• Expand the better energy warmer homes scheme to retrofit 225,000 homes over thenext five years. This will create 13,000 new jobs, save €39m in annual household energy billsand reduce carbon emissions by 137 kilotonnes.

• Deliver greener public transport systems and stronger promotion for cycling. Changingthe ways we travel will be essential to meeting our climate change commitments. We will

continue to strengthen incentives to take up cycling and establish a Green Bus Fund to replacethe state fleet with cleaner, more cost-effective vehicles.

• Promote and diversify Ireland’s renewable energy portfolio. Labour will support publicinvestment and leadership in research and development of additional clean energy sources andnew green technologies.

• Establish a new forum for Community Energy Engagement. The challenges andopportunities around climate change cannot be met by Government acting alone. Labour’sWhite Paper on Energy was based on extensive public consultation and we will continue tostrengthen the role of citizens in shaping our energy future.

Labour will make sure that the huge

changes on the horizon are managed in a way

that benefits families and improves quality

of life in every household




Growing the Green Economy 3

IntroductionEconomic development and environmental sustainability are not conflicting objectives. Thereality of climate change makes it clear that our economy will only be sustainable if it is green.Labour is committed to decarbonising the Irish economy and to setting ambitious goals to makethis a reality.

The challenge of decarbonisation also brings enormous opportunities. We are on the brink ofa transformational change in our everyday lives - how we plan our cities, how we travel andhow we power and heat our homes. These new ways of living bring enormous opportunities toinnovate and to create jobs.

We don’t have to choose between what’s best for the environment and what’s best for peoplein their everyday lives. They are mutually compatible. That’s why our green agenda is squarelyaimed at lifting the living standards of ordinary people.

Labour will make sure that the huge changes on the horizon are managed in a way that benefitsfamilies and improves quality of life in every household.

Labour is proud to have enacted the State’s first climate change legislation. This clearly sets outour obligations and also our intention to meet the challenges of decarbonisation over the yearsand decades to come. We also established a national mitigation plan to reduce emissions, and anational adaptation plan to address the effects of climate change.

Labour in Government published the 2015 White Paper on Energy, which has ambitious proposalson the future of energy security and supply. This outlines how Ireland’s energy transition willinvolve a diversified and accelerated programme of renewable energy generation, a much sharperfocus on energy efficiency, and a determination to involve citizens and communities as agents ofchange in the way Ireland generates, transmits, stores, conserves and uses energy.

Labour in Government also produced a new national strategy to combat energy poverty andcommenced a €20m pilot project to improve domestic energy efficiency for people sufferingfrom chronic health and circulatory conditions. We established a national mitigation plan toreduce emissions and within each local authority, we established climate change teams to assessthe risks and needs around the effects of climate change in each community.

Labour has used our time in Government to make sure environmental policy delivers higher livingstandards for ordinary people. We supported and expanded the Better Energy Warmer Homesscheme, which has improved the efficiency of 140,000 homes in energy poverty. This has resultedin higher energy retention, lower bills and a better deal for the environment.





€1 billion for the green economyWe recognise the need to fund immediateaction on climate change, in addition toworking on long-term solutions. We willprovide the funding while also sticking to ourcommitment to a balanced budget.

The State is already set to dispose of 25%of its shares in AIB. We propose to use €500

million of the proceeds from this sale to fundthe green energy and infrastructure projectsour country needs now.

This money will be matched by privatefunding, to create a new Green InfrastructureFund worth €1 billion. This will operate underthe Irish Strategic Investment Fund and willprovide support for clean public transport andenergy efficiency projects over the coming years. We will use it to fund the retrofitting of225,000 homes, fund the replacement of theState bus fleet with cleaner, greener vehiclesand support public investment for increaseddiversification of the State’s energy supply.

We also recognise the need to invest inour natural environment to create highquality amenities for local residents, whilesafeguarding biodiversity, reducing our carbonemissions and protecting us from the threatof flooding that is increasing as our climatechanges. We will provide additional support forthe maintenance of parks, canals, green spaces,and waterways as well as providing funding for

more tree planting to ensure an environmentwe can all enjoy.

Warmer, more energy-efficient homesImproving the energy efficiency of a homecan permanently reduce energy bills and leavepeople more resilient in the face of energycost hikes or decreases in income. It also bringsenormous benefits to the economy as a whole.

Labour will provide stronger incentives forhouseholds of all kinds to undertake the deepretrofits that deliver the very highest levelof energy security for homes and businesses.We will implement the Affordable EnergyStrategy and increase investment in the BetterEnergy Warmer Homes scheme, and open upeligibility criteria so that more householdssuffering general deprivation can avail of theservice. Our plan will ensure that 225,000homes will be able to access grant aidedsupport to retrofit and improve the energy

efficiency of their houses. We will fund afurther 10,000 homes to undertake deepretrofitting measures to ensure that thoseliving in the oldest and least modern housescan experience a better quality of living.

As an immediate priority, we will target peoplein energy poverty who are suffering fromacute health conditions and living in poorlyinsulated homes. We will support housingassociation tenants by extending eligibility forthe Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme and

allow landlords participating in the Housing





Assistance Payment schemes to receive freeenergy efficiency upgrades.

Labour will also pioneer community-ledapproaches to address energy poverty throughthe Better Energy Communities Scheme. Wewill reform the Energy Efficiency Obligationscheme, so as to require greater effort fromenergy companies to assist their customers

achieve energy efficiency.

Rented homes are twice as likely to have apoor BER rating. While this can’t be changedovernight, we need to balance improvingenergy efficiency against availability, at areasonable rent. But we will move towardsminimum energy efficiency standards forrented properties. To incentivise landlords toupgrade their properties, we will extend 100%mortgage interest relief to landlords to ensureproperties meet a minimum BER rating.

Often the best way to lower energy costs is toswitch energy supplier. But people in energypoverty often face obstacles in switching.We have directed the Commission for EnergyRegulation to investigate the causes and torecommend solutions that will remove thesebarriers. And we will give the Commission newpowers of investigation to protect consumersand the power to fine energy companies forimproper conduct.

Greener public transport

Labour is committed to good quality transport

services that serve all areas and communities.We will convert our public transport networksto green vehicles and environmentally-friendlyfuels.

We will establish a dedicated Green Bus Fund,to fund replacement of the State bus fleet withcleaner, greener vehicles. We will also publisha new Rail Transport Strategy to improve the

reliability and energy efficiency of our railnetwork. This will explore the electrification ofinter-city rail, so we can switch to a cleaner,more eco-friendly source of energy.

We will review the capital spending plan bythe end of 2016. One of our priorities will beto bring forward, if possible, the start of workon the Metro North project. If the economyallows, this will speed up delivery of a vital newform of public transport within our capital city,as well as creating a substantial number of jobs. We will improve the incentives for electricand hybrid car ownership by increasing thegrants to purchasers.

We will also continue to promote cycling as aclean, healthy way to travel. We will fund theroll out of a city cycle-way system, startingwith Dublin, while also supporting investmentin cycle-ways in other areas across the country.We will build on the hugely successful Cycleto Work scheme with a new Cycle to SchoolScheme. This will make it easier and moreaffordable than ever for school-age children to

get active on a daily basis.





Diversifying our renewable energy sourcesOnshore wind currently represents the mostdeveloped renewable electricity source in Irelandand is the predominant contributor to developinga fully decarbonised economy.

However, wind technology is not suitable in everylocation and we support diversification of therenewable electricity portfolio.

We will take practical steps to encourage thedevelopment of other renewables for electricity,heat and transport, including bioenergy, solarthermal and photovoltaic and offshore wind, witha view to adding them to the mix of low-carbonoptions as costs become cheaper.

Labour will support public investment and

leadership in research and development of greentechnologies like wave and tidal energy and gridand smart technologies, which can enhanceIreland’s promising position as a leading Europeanhub for energy.

We will also support development of energystorage systems, to maximise the cost-efficientuse of renewables.

Ireland’s energy futureThe transition to a low-carbon society requiresstable, long-term financial incentives and a marketframework that promotes investment in low andzero carbon technologies. We will explore newsources of funding to attract a major increase ininvestment in energy efficiency, renewables andnetwork infrastructure.

We will support clean-tech clusters, whereknowledge, expertise and experience from thepublic sector, academia and industry converge, tostimulate economic growth and employment inthe green economy. We aim to grow a clean-techcommunity that ensures Ireland is a world leader

in innovation and productivity. We will develop aworld-leading renewable energy research centrewhich will bring together all the renewable energyresearch institutes (marine, bioenergy, electricity)currently in operation.

We will retain Ireland’s electricity and natural gasnetworks in public ownership on a permanentbasis.

Moneypoint, Ireland’s only coal burning electricitygenerating station is a critical contributor to energysupply in this country. Consistent with our climatechange commitments we will seek to replace

high-carbon emitting coal with the most suitablereplacement low-carbon technology as the plantcomes to the end of its current operational life in2025.

The future of the Whitegate refinery is acommercial decision. Labour believes thatmaintaining a commercial domestic refiningcapacity at Whitegate is highly desirable from astrategic energy security perspective.

We will commence work on the North-Southtransmission line to improve energy security on

an all-island basis and make significant savings ontransmission costs. We will ensure that our majorurban areas lead the way in the transition to a low-carbon society. Labour will launch an ambitious 20 year plan on making our cities carbon neutral.

Community energy engagementThe 2015 White Paper on Energy was publishedfollowing a comprehensive public consultation. Itaddresses the interrelated challenges of climatechange, energy security and affordability and it setsout a path to transform Ireland’s energy system.

This transformation is driven by climate change,facilitated by new technologies and enabled byadvanced IT technologies.

Our aim is to put citizens at the heart ofenergy policy. We need public engagementand debate on the challenges that arise fromour climate commitments. To facilitate thisdebate, we will establish a National EnergyForum under an independent chair. This willbring together citizens and stakeholders to findthe best way to deliver a fully green economy.

Our aim is to put

citizens at the heartof energy policy





CostingsPolicy measure 2021 cost (current)

Cycle to School Scheme €1m

Incentives for electric and hybrid car ownership €1m

Policy measure Capital cost

Extending the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme €596m1

Dublin city cycle-way system €10m

Green Bus FundTo be funded fromthe €1bn GreenInfrastructure Fund

Renewable energy research centre & Better EnergyCommunities Scheme

To be funded fromthe €1bn GreenInfrastructure Fund

1

€500m is to be funded from the Green Infrastructure Fund




The Labour Party,W: www.labour.ie,

T: 01-678 4700

/thelabourparty

@labour

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