A new independent report from The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) looking at the readiness of nations to transition to renewable energy successfully ranked Ireland joint lowest out of thirteen European countries.
With the climate crisis getting worse each year, it has become more important than ever for nations to do everything in their power to become more environmentally friendly where possible.
One such area where countries can make a positive change is by transitioning to the use of renewable energy. This is opposed to the traditional sources of energy which are harmful to the environment.
The Energy Transition Readiness Index 2022 – analysing the nation’s readiness to transition to renewable energy
The Energy Transition Readiness Index 2022 analyses the overall readiness of a nation’s energy markets, such as Ireland’s. This is regarding their aim of transitioning towards net zero.
The independent report ranks countries on a scale of one to five. In turn, the best-performing countries score four or five and the worst-performing receive a low score.
Unfortunately, the report did not showcase Ireland in a favourable light as it was found to be one of the least ready countries to transition to renewable energy, which resulted in Ireland being ranked the lowest of the 13 countries in the report.
The main barriers that are holding Ireland back – preventing Ireland from scoring highly
The report discovered that a few main barriers stopped Ireland from scoring highly. If these barriers can be overcome, Ireland will be in a much better position to meet its renewable energy goals.
The main barriers Ireland is facing in their mission to transition to entirely renewable energy include the lack of timely development and implementation of policies related to transitioning.
Grid accessibility constraints and the rollout of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure are also factors.
Furthermore, the many delays in the deployment of renewable power generation due to the current energy crisis.
The silver lining – hope for the future
While the report might seem quite depressing from Ireland’s point of view, there is a silver lining. It not only outlines the barriers Ireland needs to overcome but also praises the progress Ireland has made thus far.
This is regarding their implementation of smart meters across the country. In turn, it is helping businesses and households to become more energy efficient.
Dr Nina Skorupska CBE, CEO of REA, said, “As ETRI 2022 makes clear, despite impressive progress from a number of European countries, warm words from many governments around Europe are not being matched by action when it comes to preparing for the energy transition.
“We now need to see significant action to remove the barriers facing our industry: proper long-term planning, prioritising and accelerating market reforms, and urgently addressing current investment barriers – all are desperately needed to help put us on the right path”.
Now, you can read the full report here.
