Government’s failure to meet EU deadline is missed opportunity to address energy & transport poverty

Published: Monday, June 30, 2025

Feminist Communities for Climate Justice (FCCJ), a joint project by the National Women’s Council (NWC) and Community Work Ireland, today (30th June 2025) expressed its disappointment at the government’s failure to submit Ireland’s Social Climate Plan to the European Commission by today’s deadline. The Plan is a requirement under the ETS2, the EU’s expanded emissions trading system covering fuel combustion in buildings, road transport and additional sectors. The primary goal of the Social Climate Fund is to alleviate the social and economic impacts arising from the ETS2, ensuring a fair transition to climate neutrality. 

Project lead of the FCCJ Sadhbh O’ Neill said. 

“The government’s delay in drafting and submitting the Social Climate Plan is inexcusable. Ireland has unacceptably high levels of energy and transport poverty due to a dependence on imported fossil fuels, leading to rising energy and fuel costs but climate action measures are out of the reach of many lower income households. For example, retrofitting and EVs are prohibitively expensive and the current grant schemes mainly benefit those who are already better off. For many rural areas public transport coverage is very poor, and transport poverty and forced-car ownership drive up the cost of living for many households. The Social Climate Plan is an opportunity to address the structural factors driving energy and transport poverty. It should target those households already experiencing high energy costs, and move beyond income support measures with targeted interventions that reduce emissions and promote wellbeing in the communities that are experiencing the most deprivation and exclusion.” 

She continued, 

“Ireland will be entitled to a share of the €87 billion in ETS2 revenues, and the government must also contribute a mandatory minimum 25% of national funding to the Social Climate Action Plan. But without a plan, there is no transparency over the amount of money that will be available and how the government intends to spend it. It is vital that we use this opportunity to address structural drivers of energy poverty instead of spending public money on short-term income supports that may lead to further fossil fuel lock-in.” 

She concluded, 

“At a time when energy costs are rising, and people on low-incomes - especially women, migrants, lone parents, disabled people and Travellers - are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living, tackling energy poverty with targeted and increased funding for retrofitting would improve the health and wellbeing of thousands of vulnerable households. However, the number of homes that will be retrofitted under the (fully grant-aided) Warmer Homes scheme and the Social Housing retrofitting programme is still too small, and approvals are taking too long to be processed. This needs to change.”  

FCCJ supports climate policies that put people and planet first, that are transformative in creating a fairer, cleaner, more prosperous and more equal future in which all women, communities, workers, and counties are lifted. This is what a truly just transition should look like.