Reviewing the Co-Benefits of Energy Efficiency in an Irish Context

Energy efficiency solutions constitute an important element of the framework necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. In recent years, major policy initiatives, such as the European Green Deal and the Irish Climate Action Plans, have introduced ambitious measures to upgrade the levels of energy efficiency in the building stock. Beyond the decarbonisation benefits that arise from energy efficiency measures, there are also considerable environmental, health, social, and economic benefits, which are rarely measured and are often overlooked.

This paper provides an analysis of the wide range of direct and indirect co-benefits of energy efficiency upgrades in the residential and non-residential building sectors, with a particular focus on the Irish context. It concludes by examining the next steps that should be taken by policymakers to support quality energy efficiency upgrades at scale.

The author, Marion Jammet, is a member of the IIEA’s Climate and Energy Working Group and is Head of Policy and Advocacy at the Irish Green Building Council. Marion also manages several projects in the area of energy renovation: Build Upon, BusLeague and the development of guidance documents to retrofit traditionally built buildings. Marion’s working background is in stakeholder engagement, policy development, and project management, and has held roles with Dublin Chamber, Eurochambres, and the European Parliament. She holds a MA in European Affairs from Sciences-Po (France) and an MSc in environmental sustainability from University College Dublin.