Climate Advisory Council Call for End to Fossil Fuels in Homes

No More Winters of Cold Homes, High Bills, and Fossil Fuels: Friends of the Earth Welcomes Advisory Council’s Calls for Change

Friends of the Earth has today welcomed the Climate Change Advisory Council’s Annual Review of the Built Environment, [1] which strongly echoes long-standing civil society calls [2] for decisive government action to decarbonise Ireland’s homes and protect people from energy poverty.

Key recommendations from the Council include:

• Set out a clear roadmap to phase out fossil fuel boilers in existing homes.

• Introduce minimum energy efficiency standards for rental properties, moving to a BER of E within four years where feasible.

• Accelerate local authority retrofit delivery, including sustained, multi-annual funding and increased capacity.

• A national network of independent retrofit advisors to help households, especially those in energy poverty, navigate the system.

Clare O’Connor, Programme Coordinator at Friends of the Earth, said:

“Too many Irish families are still wrapping themselves in coats indoors or battling mould on their walls while energy bills drain their pockets. The Advisory Council is saying what communities have been saying for years: we cannot leave households trapped in cold homes, dependent on fossil fuels.”

Renters in particular stand to benefit from the Council’s call to introduce energy efficiency standards. Clare O’Connor continued: 

“Renters have been left at the mercy of damp, draughty homes they can’t afford to heat. Minimum energy standards are about fairness as much as climate. The Government must now protect renters and ensure landlords invest in upgrades by implementing the Minimum BERs as promised in Housing for All, and follow the recommendations set out by their own Housing Commission and Climate Advisory Council” 

Friends of the Earth stressed that delivery by the Government is the real test. Clare O’Connor continued: 

“The solutions are on the table. What’s needed now is political will. Every winter of delay means more families living in unhealthy homes, paying unaffordable bills, and burning fossil fuels. The Government must implement the Council’s recommendations in this year’s National Building Renovation Plan.”

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Notes:

1. See the report from the Climate Change Advisory Council Built Environment Review 2025: https://www.climatecouncil.ie/councilpublications/annualreviewandreport/CCAC-AR2025-Built%20Environment,%20Industry%20and%20Waste-final.pdf

2. See the pre-election Joint Civil Society call for “Warm Homes for All”, including Minimum BERs in the rental sector; ramped up social housing retrofit delivery; and Community Energy Advisors: https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/assets/files/pdf/warm_homes_for_all_manifesto.pdf