Download JTC Budget 2027 Submission
Just Transition Commission Calls for Budget 2027 to Deliver a Fair and Funded Transition Away from Fossil Fuel Dependence
Commission urges investment in lasting solutions that reduce vulnerability, cut dependence on fossil fuels, support those most affected by the transition and ensure the benefits are shared fairly.
The Just Transition Commission today published its submission to Budget 2027, calling on the Government to adopt a comprehensive approach that addresses immediate cost-of-living pressures in a progressive way, while accelerating Ireland’s transition to a climate-neutral economy.
The Just Transition Commission is an independent advisory body that provides Government with impartial, strategic and evidence-based advice on ensuring this transition is fair and inclusive. Bringing together representatives from business, agriculture, community and voluntary organisations, trade unions, environmental groups and wider society, the Commission works to place fairness at the heart of climate action, ensuring that the benefits and opportunities of the transition are shared widely and that no one is left behind.
The Commission’s submission argues that rising energy costs, transport pressures and housing challenges are closely linked to Ireland’s continued dependence on imported fossil fuels and that Budget 2027 must focus on the solutions that will reduce Ireland’s exposure to future price shocks while supporting households and communities.
The submission outlines a series of immediate, medium-term and longer-term priorities, all of which can be advanced by decisions in Budget 2027. The proposals are designed to respond to current pressures facing households and businesses while investing in the structural changes needed over the coming decade. It calls for targeted supports, investment in housing, energy, transport and community infrastructure, support for sectors navigating the transition, and expanded education, skills and training opportunities to ensure Ireland’s transition to climate neutrality is fair, inclusive and economically resilient.
Among its key recommendations, the Commission is calling on Government to:
- Target cost-of-living supports at households most exposed to energy poverty and transport disadvantage.
- Maintain funding for community climate action projects and provide long-term certainty for programmes that support local participation in the transition.
- Invest in housing retrofit, renewable energy, nature restoration and public transport infrastructure.
- Support sectors, workers and communities to navigate the transition through investment in skills, training and regional opportunities.
- Apply a just transition lens across all major Government spending and taxation decisions.
Commenting on the submission, Chair of the Just Transition Commission, Ali Sheridan, said:
“Recent energy price shocks have highlighted the risks associated with Ireland’s continued dependence on imported fossil fuels. Budget 2027 presents an opportunity to invest in lasting solutions that reduce those vulnerabilities, and support a fair and funded transition to a climate-neutral economy.”
“The transition to climate neutrality is not simply about reducing emissions. Done well, it can improve quality of life, create new opportunities for workers and communities, strengthen regional economies and reduce the pressures that households face from volatile fossil fuel prices.”
“Budget 2027 must help ensure that the benefits of the transition are shared fairly. That means supporting those most exposed to energy poverty and transport disadvantage, investing in communities and sectors navigating change, and providing the infrastructure, services, skills and training needed to ensure no one is left behind.”
Concluding, Sheridan said:
“The decisions we make now will shape Ireland’s economy and society for decades to come. This is a window to address long-standing structural challenges, reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels and build a transition that is fair, inclusive and resilient.”