Climate Action Roadmap highlights progress on Public Transport Decarbonisation
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has published its latest Climate Action Roadmap, outlining continued progress in reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency across public transport and its own operations.
The Roadmap reaffirms the NTA’s role as a public sector leader in sustainable transport and its contribution to Ireland’s national climate targets. While meaningful progress has been achieved, it also highlights that significant further action will be required in the years ahead.
Transport remains a key contributor to national emissions, and the NTA plays a central role in supporting the transition to more sustainable travel through investment in public transport, active travel and demand management. A defining feature of the NTA’s emissions profile is that the vast majority arises from Public Service Obligation (PSO) transport services delivered on its behalf, meaning emissions must be reduced even as services continue to expand.
The Roadmap highlights how different parts of the public transport network are progressing along the transition to lower emissions:
Overall, these trends reflect a transport system in transition; expanding in scale, improving in efficiency, and progressively shifting towards lower-carbon technologies.
Beyond fleet and technology, the NTA’s Climate Action Roadmap underscores the importance of a wider shift in how people travel. Investment in public transport, walking and cycling, alongside measures to reduce unnecessary journeys and improve system efficiency, will be central to achieving national climate objectives.
The NTA is working closely with government, local authorities, transport operators and industry partners to deliver major infrastructure programmes such as BusConnects, DART+ and MetroLink, alongside the Moving Together strategy, which aims to influence travel behaviour and reduce demand for carbon-intensive journeys.
Recognising that sustainability extends beyond carbon emissions, the Roadmap also places increased emphasis on climate resilience and the natural environment. This includes integrating climate change adaptation into the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure, ensuring networks are better prepared for extreme weather and longer-term climate risks.
In parallel, the NTA’s Biodiversity Action Plan embeds biodiversity protection and enhancement within transport projects and programmes, supporting habitat connectivity, nature-based solutions and broader environmental sustainability. Together, these measures aim to deliver a transport system that is not only lower carbon, but also more resilient and supportive of Ireland’s wider ecological objectives.
Alongside its transport remit, the NTA continues to improve the sustainability of its own operations. The move to a modern, energy-efficient head office, combined with enhanced monitoring systems and targeted energy initiatives, is contributing to improved energy performance and reduced emissions from corporate activities.
The organisation remains committed to meeting its public sector targets for emissions reduction and energy efficiency, recognising that strong governance, staff engagement and sustainable procurement practices all play a critical role in delivering these outcomes.
The Climate Action Roadmap is designed as a live, evolving document, to be updated annually as data improves and new measures are implemented. While progress to date is significant, the Roadmap makes clear that further action is required to meet the scale of Ireland’s climate ambition.
Through continued investment, innovation and collaboration, the NTA will play its part in delivering a cleaner, more efficient and more resilient transport system, supporting economic development, enhancing quality of life, and contributing to a low-carbon future.
