A new flagship UN report on climate change that was published on Monday indicated that carbon emissions from 2010-2019 have never been higher in human history. This is proof that the world is on a “fast track” to disaster with scientists arguing that it’s ‘now or never’ to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
Governments have spent too long ignoring the science on the impending climate change crisis. The report (endorsed by almost 200 countries) warns that current fossil fuel plans put the world on course for 2C warming. It also encourages an end to all fossil fuel subsidies and new coal plants immediately and warns oil and gas will become stranded assets in the next few decades. The scale of what needs to be done seems daunting, but if companies and businesses act now, it is possible. The IPCC urged governments to ramp up action and insisted that it is still possible to halve emissions by 2030.
The UN body also acknowledged the significant decrease in the cost of renewable energy sources since 2010, by as much as 85 per cent for solar and wind energy, and batteries.
In Ireland alone, electricity demand is set to increase by between 19% & 50% along with a target of 80% of demand to be met by renewable energy by 2030. This should be pushing us to roll out renewable energy alternatives imminently.
Renewable energy accounted for 32% in 2021. To achieve the 80% target, Ireland needs to install a lot more renewable generators, increase energy storage, and continue to use natural gas as our back-up fuel for some time. With solar energy on the rise and the potential for offshore wind, Ireland has the potential to be energy independent by 2030.
So what does this mean for us? If you have been thinking about renewable energy for your business but you’ve been putting it off because of business levels, the unpredictability of the economy & the volatility of the market – the need to transition to sustainability is not going anywhere. You need to protect your business and take action now. Start the research, see what options are available to you and talk to different providers.
In terms of solar energy, you don’t need necessarily need a capital outlay. You could look into our Solar as a Service model – this covers the cost of the installation and looks after the planning, design, installation and all maintenance of the panels.
What’s the catch? There is none. We present you with a fixed price monthly over a fixed term agreement. You pay us for the energy you consume, you are starting the transition to energy independence and you start meeting sustainability targets.