Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department is pro-actively integrating climate action in our activities, and those of our agencies; engaging with businesses in Ireland from microbusinesses to large corporates about the many opportunities for decarbonisation and cost effective efficiencies.

The White Paper on Enterprise highlighted the need for an integrated approach to enterprise policy that aligns our growth with decarbonising our businesses. This is key to Ireland’s future competitiveness and the long-term health of our economy; doing the work now can successfully position Ireland seize the opportunities ahead, and underpin a prosperous transition to a low-carbon economy.

To realise this ambition, the enterprise development agencies – IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, LEOs and other sectoral agencies – are incorporating carbon abatement as an objective equal to and alongside employment and value-added. This has required significant changes to agency priorities and activities, including the setting of explicit emissions reductions targets for their client base and the incorporation of the cost of carbon into project evaluation. These agencies are facilitating the green transition in our FDI and Irish exporting base, with IDA Ireland supporting nearly €130 million in decarbonisation investments over the three year period 2021-2023, and Enterprise Ireland supporting 207 climate projects across 2023, alongside ongoing efforts to enhance digital adoption across the enterprise base.

My Department has recently published a Roadmap for the Decarbonisation of Industrial Heat. It outlines the necessary trajectory to meet our binding decarbonisation targets in the manufacturing sectors. It sets out the key policy interventions to decarbonise heat use by industry, including the supports available to companies, the regulations to promote decarbonisation, and the enabling measure that will facilitate the transition.

Alongside the publication of the Industry Decarbonisation Roadmap I announced that €300 million is being made available to drive the decarbonisation of Ireland’s industrial emitters over the coming years. The fund will be used by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland to support client companies to reduce their industrial emissions between now and 2030 through the Environmental Aid scheme.

A similar roadmap for decarbonising commercial premises will be published in the coming months, and set out a pathway for removing the fossil fuels from our enterprises' building stock, including offices, retail facilities, hotels and all non-residential premises. It will set out the regulations forthcoming under the Environmental Performance of Buildings Directive, and supports and advice available to assist businesses through SEAI, the Local Enterprise Offices and elsewhere. Many businesses are already well underway on this transition, have undertaken energy audits and made smart investments in energy efficiency, removing fossil fuels and using low carbon renewable energy.

Thousands of businesses are already being supported through the Green Transition Fund, SEAI energy programmes, SkillNet Ireland training, the LEO Green for Business programme, and a range of other advisory, training and grant aid offerings. My Department, and key state agencies, will continue working to ensure that all businesses in Ireland are activated and engaged in the green transition, ensuring Ireland’s economy remains competitive, resilient and sustainable as we progress towards our target to be net zero by 2050.