Transition to renewable energy

The Irish Government launched a specific ‘Just Transition Fund’ in 2020 (JTF) as a key pillar of the government’s just transition plan for a specific region in Ireland which has been undergoing a move away from the use of peat as an energy source, the Midlands region. A 2020 fund of €11 million will be available for projects focusing on retraining workers and proposals to generate sustainable employment in green enterprise in the region, and supporting communities to transition to a low carbon economy. it will support and reinforce the other just transition and peat protection measures underway. The objective of the Just Transition Fund 2020 call is to fund innovative projects that contribute to the economic, social and environmental sustain. The 2020 call had three priorities:

1. Employment and Enterprise Supports: To support innovation and investment proposals to generate sustainable employment in green enterprise
2. Training Supports: To retrain and reskill workers to assist local communities and businesses in the Wider Midlands to adjust to the low carbon transition
3. Community Transitioning Supports: To support proactive communications with affected communities and other stakeholders in the region, establish best practice sharing networks, and assist in developing local transition plansability of the Wider Midlands region and which have employment and enterprise potential. It will support projects that take a whole-of-Midlands strategic approach and complement other sources of public funding. The Government has also been supporting ongoing research into just transitioning away from a reliance on carbon intensive energy sources and has supported the publication of four reports by a Government funded research body, the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). The NESC reports looks at areas such as protecting vulnerable employees, how other regions have successsful (or not) adapted, and also the impact of digitalisation. In addition, the Minister appointed a Just Transition Commissioner in late 2019 to inform the process and engage with stakeholders in the region. The Commissioner has published an interim progress report.

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