Minister unable to give embodied carbon estimate for Housing For All plan

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

The Minister for Housing has been unable to provide an estimate for embodied carbon associated with the overall delivery of the Government’s Housing for All plan.

Embodied carbon is the term for emissions related to all activities of procuring and transforming materials into construction products, as well as their transport, use, maintenance and disposal at end of life.

Appearing before the joint Oireachtas committee on environment and climate action, Darragh O’Brien said the Government was working towards a framework on embodied carbon for new builds.

He was responding to questioning from Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore.

Ms Whitmore said a report from the Irish Green Building Council said the State may need to limit new home construction to 21,000 units per year to meet climate targets, which is below the targets of the Housing for All plan.

“If embodied carbon represents 14% of our emissions, I think there’s obviously a huge part to play for your department and for the Housing for All plan in assessing and reducing emissions of construction material.

“So I’m just wondering, was or has the Housing for All plan ever been assessed to quantify the amount of embodied emissions that will result if that plan is implemented?”

Mr O’Brien said the carbon emissions of the construction sector is quantified.

However, when asked by Ms Whitmore if how much embodied carbon had been quantified under the plan, Mr O’Brien said it depended on the output of any given year.

He said the figure for last year could be calculated, for example.

“Last year, we targeted 24,600 homes and you’ve we built just short to 30,000.

“I can get you the detail but the overall quantification of that I don’t have.”

He said future emissions and issues like energy poverty will influence the quality of the the stock being delivered.

“I take your point in relation to the overall quantification, we’ll come back to the committee on that.”

Minister of State Kieran O’Donnell said an embodied carbon framework will be established for January 2027.

Mr O’Brien told the committee that many of the Department’s actions are “high impact and play an important role” in the delivery and implementation of the Climate Action Plan.

“My main focus is that we’re using more MMC (modern methods of construction).”

He said all new dwellings constructed under Housing for All are Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB), which means most new dwellings now have renewable energy heating systems or heat pumps.

“Ireland is ahead of the requirements of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive with the phasing out of fossil fuel boilers three years in advance of its requirements.”

He added that all new dwellings constructed under Housing for All are “A Rated”.

“We are all focused on developing and implementing policies which will contribute to a reduction in carbon emissions and in adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change.

“My Department is committed to playing a broad and significant role in Government’s response to the climate emergency we now face.

“The delivery of affordable and quality housing under Housing for All and addressing Climate Action are the two key challenges for Government at this time.”