The public sector must reduce its fossil CO2 emissions by 51% by 2030, compared to a greenhouse gas (GHG) baseline. This is referred to as the fossil CO2 target. The sector must also reduce its total CO2 emissions over the same period, by an amount that is consistent with the projected supply-side emissions reduction from electricity by 2030. This is referred to as the total CO2 target. These targets apply to all public bodies, except those that are deemed to be new entrants after 2018.
These targets are distinct from the 2030 energy efficiency target.
All public bodies must achieve both the fossil CO2 target and the total CO2 target.
The GHG baseline period for most public bodies is 2016-2018 (average). You must provide data for every year from 2016 onwards. Your organisation's progress towards the two GHG targets is calculated from this baseline period.
The GHG baseline period for an organisation that was established after 2016 is as follows:
You must submit energy consumption data for all energy consumed during the baseline period to establish a valid GHG baseline for your organisation.
If your GHG baseline period is an average of more than one year (e.g. 2016-2018), all baseline values are calculated as the average of the annual values over the relevant years.
Fossil CO2 refers to CO2 emissions arising from your organisation's consumption of fossil fuels, including for heating (thermal) and transport.
Your organisation's fossil CO2 emissions in each year are calculated by the system by multiplying your organisation's final energy consumption of different fossil energy types by SEAI emission factors. For most energy types, the emission factors only change slightly from year to year (if at all). Note that it is the non-weather-adjusted final energy consumption that is used to calculate CO2 emissions.
Fossil CO2 emissions are expressed in kilogrammes of CO2 (kgCO2), in tonnes of CO2 (tCO2) or in kilotonnes of CO2 (ktCO2), depending on the scale of energy use (emissions) in your organisation. 1 ktCO2 = 1,000 tCO2 = 1,000,000 kgCO2.
The calculation of CO2 emissions is described in more detail under ‘CO2 emissions’ in energy & CO2.
The fossil CO2 emissions reduction target for almost all public bodies is a 51% reduction compared to the fossil CO2 level at the organisation's GHG baseline.
If your target is a 51% reduction, your public body must reduce its CO2 emissions by 51% by 2030, compared to your GHG baseline period. The target is expressed as the maximum level of fossil CO2 emissions below which your organisation must operate in 2030, i.e., to achieve the target, fossil CO2 in 2030 must be less than or equal to the target. The target is an absolute reduction target, i.e. there is no adjustment for changes in activity levels, service levels or demographics. The target is expressed in kgCO2, or in tCO2 or ktCO2, depending on the scale of energy use (emissions) in your organisation.
For example, if your organisation's fossil CO2 at its GHG baseline is 200 tCO2 and your target is a 51% reduction, your 2030 fossil CO2 target is 98 tCO2 (200 x (1 - 51%) = 98).
Organisations that only consumed electricity during their GHG baseline periods had zero fossil CO2 emissions during this time. If your organisation's fossil CO2 at its GHG baseline is zero, then your 2030 fossil CO2 target is 0 kgCO2 ((0 x (1 - 51%) = 0).
Your organisation's progress towards its fossil CO2 target is tracked on the basis of its absolute fossil CO2 emissions each year.
The system calculates an indicative trajectory from your GHG baseline to the 2030 fossil CO2 target. The indicative trajectory is based on a constant reduction in fossil CO2 between the GHG baseline and the 2030 target.
If your fossil CO2 in a year is below the indicative trajectory, your organisation is broadly on track to achieving the target. If your fossil CO2 in a year is above the indicative trajectory, your organisation is not yet on a trajectory that is consistent with meeting the target.
The change in your organisation's fossil CO2 since your GHG baseline is calculated each year in absolute terms, as the difference between your fossil CO2 in the year and your fossil CO2 at your GHG baseline. This is expressed in kilogrammes, tonnes or kilotonnes of CO2, depending on the scale of your organisation. Negative values indicate a reduction in fossil CO2 since baseline, and vice versa.
The change in your organisation's fossil CO2 since your GHG baseline is also calculated as a percentage each year. This is calculated by dividing the absolute change in fossil CO2 by your fossil CO2 at the GHG baseline. Negative values indicate a reduction in fossil CO2 since baseline, and vice versa.
Your ‘gap to 2030 target’ indicates the gap between your fossil CO2 in a year and your fossil CO2 target, expressed in kilogrammes, tonnes or kilotonnes of CO2, depending on the scale of your organisation. Positive values indicate a gap to the 2030 fossil CO2 target.
For example, if your fossil CO2 target is 98 tCO2 and your fossil CO2 in the current year is 160 tCO2, your gap to target is 62 tCO2 (160 - 98 = 62) , i.e. your organisation must reduce its fossil CO2 by 62 tCO2 between now and 2030.
If your organisation's fossil CO2 is already below the target, your gap to target is shown as zero.
The system also calculates the ‘reduction required to reach 2030 target’. This expresses the gap to target as a percentage of your current fossil CO2. Positive values indicate additional reduction in fossil CO2 required to reach the 2030 target.
For example, if your fossil CO2 target is 98 tCO2 and your fossil CO2 in the current year is 160 tCO2, your gap to target is 62 tCO2 and the improvement required to reach the 2030 target is 38.8% (62 ÷ 160 = 38.8%), i.e. your organisation must reduce its fossil CO2 by 38.8% from its current level between now and 2030.
If your organisation's fossil CO2 is already below the target, your ‘reduction required to reach 2030 target’ is shown as zero.
Total CO2 refers to CO2 emissions arising from your organisation's consumption of fossil fuels (heating (thermal) and transport) and electricity. Total CO2 comprises fossil CO2 and electricity CO2. Note that all references to total CO2 are to energy-related CO2 emissions only.
Your organisation's total CO2 emissions in each year are calculated by the system by multiplying your organisation's final energy consumption of different energy types by SEAI emission factors. For most energy types, the emission factors only change slightly from year to year (if at all). However, the emission factor for electricity can change significantly from year to year. Note that it is the non-weather-adjusted final energy consumption that is used to calculate CO2 emissions.
Total CO2 emissions are expressed in kilogrammes of CO2 (kgCO2), in tonnes of CO2 (tCO2) or in kilotonnes of CO2 (ktCO2), depending on the scale of energy use (emissions) in your organisation. 1 ktCO2 = 1,000 tCO2 = 1,000,000 kgCO2.
The calculation of CO2 emissions is described in more detail under ‘CO2 emissions’ in energy & CO2.
Your total CO2 target for 2030 equals your fossil CO2 target for 2030 plus your electricity emissions at your GHG baseline less the projected supply-side emissions reduction from electricity by 2030.
The target is expressed as the maximum level of fossil CO2 emissions below which your organisation must operate in 2030, i.e., to achieve the target, total CO2 in 2030 must be less than or equal to the target. The target is an absolute reduction target, i.e. there is no adjustment for changes in activity levels, service levels or demographics. The target is expressed in kgCO2, or in tCO2 or ktCO2, depending on the scale of energy use (emissions) in your organisation.
For example:
Your total CO2 target is a function of your consumption of grid electricity at your GHG baseline and the forecast rate of electricity supply-side decarbonisation over the period to 2030. The actual rate of electricity supply-side decarbonisation is outside the control of your organisation. Therefore, your organisation's total CO2 target will be periodically recalculated by SEAI, to account for the latest emissions forecasts data for 2030.
Such recalculations will apply the latest emissions forecasts for 2030 to your grid electricity consumption at your GHG baseline to recalculate the projected supply-side emissions reduction from electricity by 2030. Any future recalculation of your total CO2 target arising from changes to the forecast contribution from electricity supply-side decarbonisation will have no impact on the calculation of your fossil CO2 target.
Note that your organisation will achieve its total CO2 target if it achieves its fossil CO2 target and it maintains its consumption of grid electricity at or below its consumption during the GHG baseline. This statement applies whether the electricity network decarbonises exactly as anticipated, or by a greater or a lesser amount.
Your organisation's progress towards its total CO2 target is tracked on the basis of its absolute total CO2 emissions each year.
The system calculates an indicative trajectory from your GHG baseline to the 2030 total CO2 target. The indicative trajectory accounts for anticipated changes to the CO2 intensity of Ireland's electricity grid.
If your total CO2 in a year is below the indicative trajectory, your organisation is broadly on track to achieving the target. If your total CO2 in a year is above the indicative trajectory, your organisation is not yet on a trajectory that is consistent with meeting the target.
The change in your organisation's total CO2 since your GHG baseline is calculated each year in absolute terms, as the difference between your total CO2 in the year and your total CO2 at your GHG baseline. This is expressed in kilogrammes, tonnes or kilotonnes of CO2, depending on the scale of your organisation. Negative values indicate a reduction in total CO2 since baseline, and vice versa.
The change in your organisation's total CO2 since your GHG baseline is also calculated as a percentage each year. This is calculated by dividing the absolute change in total CO2 by your total CO2 at the GHG baseline. Negative values indicate a reduction in total CO2 since baseline, and vice versa.
Your ‘gap to 2030 target’ indicates the gap between your total CO2 in a year and your total CO2 target, expressed in kilogrammes, tonnes or kilotonnes of CO2, depending on the scale of your organisation. Positive values indicate a gap to the 2030 total CO2 target.
For example, if your total CO2 target is 121 tCO2 and your total CO2 in the current year is 235 tCO2, your gap to target is 114 tCO2 (235 - 121 = 114) , i.e. your organisation must reduce its fossil CO2 by 114 tCO2 between now and 2030.
If your organisation's total CO2 is already below the target, your gap to target is shown as zero.
The system also calculates the ‘reduction required to reach 2030 target’. This expresses the gap to target as a percentage of your current total CO2. Positive values indicate additional reduction in total CO2 required to reach the 2030 target.
For example, if your total CO2 target is 121 tCO2 and your total CO2 in the current year is 235 tCO2, your gap to target is 114 tCO2 and the improvement required to reach the 2030 target is 48.5% (114 ÷ 235 = 48.5%), i.e. your organisation must reduce its fossil CO2 by 48.5% from its current level between now and 2030.
If your organisation's total CO2 is already below the target, your ‘reduction required to reach 2030 target’ is shown as zero.