Ireland “won’t be able to talk or cajole its way out” of meeting legally-binding commitments on adopting renewable energy and on reducing carbon emissions targets, according to the energy expert Marie Donnelly. Failures to achieve targets in the period up to 2020 are “a ticking exchequer time bomb”, the former head of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy has warned. When the bill comes in the door from Europe because we don’t make our targets, the recriminations will start,” she added. Ireland knew what it needed to do “but we are procrastinating to the point of inaction”, she said. While energy use from renewable sources was significant, a binding target of 16 per cent by 2020 was unlikely to be achieved, Ms Donnelly said.

Source: The Irish Times May 16, 2018 20:37 UTC