In normal times I'd find myself in Dublin at some point in the year as part our business operations. The trips provide a welcome opportunity to catch up with people there.
But these aren't normal times, so I was pleased to have the opportunity to take part in yesterday's IBEC Business Leaders Conference to talk about a net-zero Ireland, and how SSE can help make that a reality.
The event was a chance for representatives from Accenture, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson – and SSE – to discuss the environmental issues at play in Ireland right now, the need for strong moral leadership and the opportunities that exist for the post-pandemic Irish economy to be built back better.
These are all themes we are familiar with in the UK. Our business strategy is aligned with the net-zero targets of the UK and Scottish governments and the picture is broadly similar in Ireland.
We welcome Ireland's commitment to putting a net zero by 2050 target into law with a Climate Action Amendment Bill. But, as in the UK, that doesn't mean we don't advocate for policymakers to be even more ambitious on decarbonisation. For example, we feel Ireland could feasibly have a net-zero power system by 2040.
SSE speaks from a position of strength in Ireland. We are the biggest wind generator on the island of Ireland, operating its largest onshore wind farm at Galway Wind Park (co-developed with Coillte). We also have the renewables skills to help Ireland maximise the potential of offshore wind too, and as part of this we want to develop Arklow Bank as the country's first offshore wind farm of scale.
The point I was keen to make yesterday was that by unlocking private investment from companies like SSE, Ireland can tackle climate change and provide a win-win for the economy and the environment, particularly as we recover from the coronavirus crisis. Tackling climate change will require an international effort and it’s great that we can play our part internationally both through our leading role in Ireland, through our ambitions to expand to other overseas renewables markets and, this year, through our involvement as a principal partner of COP26.