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In the shadow of Brexit: Can the Nordic Region help make the Green Island greener?

08.12.17 | Fréttir
Representatives from the Nordic countries were quick to reassure their Irish colleagues at a seminar on green solutions in Dublin that green co-operation with good neighbours is more than possible, even on opposing sides of EU membership.

In the shadow of Brexit, the future of Ireland’s energy supply could turn into a headache for the authorities, as much of the country’s supply is imported from Britain. Yet this offers a golden opportunity to accelerate the transition to a greener energy system and to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. This is an area where Ireland is looking northwards towards solutions that have been proven to work in the Nordic Region.

“Learning from and working with our Nordic neighbours can help us to deliver on our ambition of leveraging the potential to expand Ireland’s supply of wind power and create sustainable local businesses. The Nordic Green event is an excellent platform for this co-operation to start in earnest,” says Jim Gannon, Director of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland in Business and Finance.

On 29 November the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic embassies in Dublin convened Nordic policy experts and business representatives in the fields of climate and energy to propel Ireland’s green agenda using the Nordic Region as a model.

“The common Nordic electricity market contributes to the region’s high share of renewable energy. When the wind blows in Denmark, the other Nordic countries benefit, and when there is no wind, the Danes enjoy clean Norwegian hydroelectric power. It just goes to show that such co-operation is possible even if you’re not a member of the EU,” says Norway’s ambassador to Ireland, Else Berit Eikeland.

Time is running out for the nations of the world to meet the Paris Agreement objective of a temperature increase of no more than 1.5 to 2 degrees. The prime ministerial initiative Nordic Green to Scale shows that the implementation of 15 Nordic solutions on a global scale could reduce emissions by as much as the total annual emissions of the whole of the EU.

Nordic solutions such as wind power, district heating, wave power, and heat pumps were some of the solutions presented to Irish decision-makers, officials, and companies at the seminar. There was considerable interest in several issues, not least in terms of the mistakes to be avoided. However, sustainable energy is only one of many areas in which Nordic solutions are of interest to Ireland. When the United Kingdom leaves the UK, Ireland will lose its closest ally and so is looking for new partners.

“We share the fundamental values ​​of peace and freedom, democracy, and free trade and have many cultural bonds that unite us. Consequently Nordic co-operation and the promotion of the Nordic model is very important in Ireland,” says Sweden’s ambassador to Ireland, Anna Brandt.

As a new climate ally, the Nordic Region can help make the Green Island greener and strengthen its ties with Ireland in the shadow of Brexit.