The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published its latest projections for the 2030 climate targets and it’s bad news for Ireland.

The Irish State has the worst emissions per capita in Europe – projections show our greenhouse gas emissions will fall by just 23 per cent by 2030, compared to our original national target of 51 per cent, according to EPA data published on Wednesday.

The latest figures indicate none of the State’s biggest emitting sectors – transport, agriculture and electricity – will meet their climate commitments. In most sectors, emissions continue to rise or are going down only marginally.

The cost of missing these targets is obvious – extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and disruptive. And countries who fail to meet these commitments must pay huge fines.

What can Ireland do between now and 2030 to reduce emissions? And how much will Ireland pay if it fails to meet these legally-binding targets?

Irish Times environment and science correspondent Kevin O’Sullivan discusses the implications of Ireland’s failure to meet climate targets. 

Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey.

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