Ireland’s transport system is heavily reliant on cars, hampering progress towards emissions reduction targets. This is revealed from the OECD report.

A report released on Wednesday concluded that Ireland’s current transport habits are preventing the country from meeting its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51 per cent by 2030 compared to 2018 levels. This requires a 50 percent reduction in the transport sector.

“Three out of four citizens (on average) drive every day,” the report states, adding that “current mobility patterns in Ireland are inconsistent with the country’s greenhouse gas reduction targets.”

of message It concludes that the decarbonisation required to meet the government’s targets is unlikely to be achieved by improving private vehicles – electrifying for example.

The report also finds that measures already implemented or planned, including those designed to reduce peak emissions, are insufficient to transform the country’s car-dependent system.

According to the OECD, the policy measures that can make the most changes are the allocation of road space, the implementation of shared on-demand services and improved communication strategies to overcome the car-based mentality.

More generally, the report recommends rethinking the purpose of transportation systems to prioritize sustainable accessibility and break the cognitive link that equates increased mobility with greater well-being.

Welcoming Wednesday’s findings, Irish Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said: “The scale of the challenge we face in decarbonising transport, as highlighted in this report, is not easy and it will need to be truly transformative in the coming years.” level. of behavioral and systemic changes.”

“The view in this report is that changes should be made now that will result in a net-zero future for transport by 2050,” he added. “The long-term focus should be on reducing demand and making systemic changes that reduce car dependency.”