Personal website of Prof. Hannah Daly, University College Cork https://hannahdaly.ie/ The many ironies of fuel protests - Op-ed for the Irish Times, April 16th, 2026, under the printed title “Truckers of Ireland, the accidential climate heries” (!) Amid the worst oil shock in global history, Ireland was on the verge of turning away oil tankers this weekend. That forecourts ran dry across large parts of the country... Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2026-04-15-fossil-fuel-irony/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2026-04-15-fossil-fuel-irony/ At a Time of Climate Crisis – Renewable energy relies on resources that will never run out and cannot be cut off as act of aggression - Op-ed for the Irish Times, March 11th, 2026 The energy crisis triggered by the conflict in the Middle East has a strong sense of déjà vu. US-Israeli attacks on Iran and subsequent counterattacks across the Gulf have sent energy prices soaring. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which around... Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2026-03-11-fossil-fuel-crisis/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2026-03-11-fossil-fuel-crisis/ At a Time of Climate Crisis – Dynamic tariffs more accurately reflect what’s actually going on with electricity supply and demand - Column for the Irish Times, February 5th, 2026 By June this year, Ireland’s largest electricity suppliers will be required to offer households a new type of tariff: one where the price of electricity changes hour by hour, reflecting conditions on the electricity system. These so-called “dynamic tariffs” a fundamental change... Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://hannahdaly.ie/2026-02-05-dynamic-tariffs/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2026-02-05-dynamic-tariffs/ At a Time of Climate Crisis – Carbon budgets are a physical reality, not political slogans - Column for the Irish Times, January 1st 2026 Ireland has become very good at talking about climate ambition. We have targets, plans, sectoral ceilings, and a strong climate law. And yet, when you look closely at many of our most consequential decisions, it is hard to escape the sense that... Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800 https://hannahdaly.ie/2026-01-02-ignoring-physics/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2026-01-02-ignoring-physics/ Reaction to the CRU policy in relation to data centre connections - The CRU’s new decision on data centre connections is notable because it lays bare a deeper problem in our climate governance. To its credit, the decision explicitly acknowledges that the growth of data centres poses a material risk to Ireland’s ability to meet its carbon budgets. It also openly states... Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-12-12-CRU-data-centre-policy/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-12-12-CRU-data-centre-policy/ An Taisce climate event for President Connolly - I had the enormous honour of participating in an event for President Connolly on the climate and biodiversity emergency, organised by An Taisce. The event was called “Snapshots on climate change and its impacts on our welfare” and the President gave a powerful opening address about her vision to be... Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-11-19-an-taisce-president-connolly/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-11-19-an-taisce-president-connolly/ Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy - Last month, I was invited to a meeting of the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy as part of their deliverations on the carbon budgets recommended by the Climate Change Advisory Council last December. I will not go into the full details of what was proposed, but I led,... Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-10-07-engagement-on-carbon-budgets/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-10-07-engagement-on-carbon-budgets/ At a Time of Climate Crisis - Solar is the world’s new superpower - Column for the Irish Times, October 2nd 2025 While the political drama of the energy transition has centred on the United States this year, and whether Donald Trump will succeed in derailing it, something quieter but more consequential is happening elsewhere. Solar energy is becoming the world’s new energy superpower.... Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-10-02-solar-let-the-sun-shine/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-10-02-solar-let-the-sun-shine/ This week, I participated in the first Overshoot Conference hosted by IIASA. I’m looking forward to a full writeup of the conference outcomes because it became clear that while we are entering climate overshoot, and the urgency of action is never clearer, the concept of returning to 1.5C “from above”... Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-10-01-overshoot-conference/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-10-01-overshoot-conference/ Invited talk to SEAI board - In September, I was very grateful to be asked to give a talk to the board of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Download my talk (PDF) The “no brainer” view of sustainable energy For those of us who work in this field, sustainable energy often feels like a no-brainer.... Mon, 08 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-09-08-SEAI-board-talk/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-09-08-SEAI-board-talk/ At a Time of Climate Crisis - GWP* risks backsliding for methane-intensive sectors - Why ‘No Additional Warming’ Is a Dangerous Climate Loophole Column for the Irish Times, September 4th 2025 “No additional warming”: it sounds like an ambitious climate target. In fact, this idea that now risks becoming the foundation of Ireland’s long-term climate strategy would allow Ireland to continue emitting high levels... Thu, 04 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-09-04-GWP-star-temperature-neutrality/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-09-04-GWP-star-temperature-neutrality/ Article for the Macroom Historical Society - When I think about climate change, I don’t begin with melting glaciers or distant conferences. I think about my grandfather, who left the cement factory in Limerick in the 1970s to become a self-employed plumber. The oil shocks had pushed Ireland to diversify how we powered and heated our lives.... Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-09-01-from-turf-to-tomorrow-macroom/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-09-01-from-turf-to-tomorrow-macroom/ At a Time of Climate Crisis - There are serious questions over the sustainability of hydrotreated vegetable oil and the industries that are promoting its use - Column for the Irish Times, August 7th 2025 “For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.” This aphorism frequently comes to mind when I reflect on climate solutions. Problems don’t come more complex or urgent than climate change, and sadly there is no shortage... Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-08-07-HVO-climate-quick-fix/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-08-07-HVO-climate-quick-fix/ At a Time of Climate Crisis - Focusing solely on the feasibility of 1.5 risks paralysis; instead, debate should centre on how to reduce warming and prepare for large-scale carbon drawdown - Irish Times Column, July 3rd 2025 What happens to the Paris Agreement once the world breaches 1.5 degrees of global warming? This question, long debated in climate circles, has now become unavoidable. In 2024, the hottest year ever recorded, global temperatures averaged 1.6 degrees above pre-industrial levels. One year doesn’t... Thu, 03 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-07-03-1.5-degrees-overshoot-what-now/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-07-03-1.5-degrees-overshoot-what-now/ At a Time of Climate Crisis - A pioneering Donegal project shows how long-duration energy storage will play a role in Ireland’s clean energy futuredrawdown - ### Irish Times column for June 2025 One of Ireland’s most exciting and important energy projects is quietly being developed at a remote outpost in Donegal, not far from Malin head. FuturEnergy Ireland, a joint venture between Coillte and ESB, has been granted planning permission to build Europe’s first iron-air... Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-06-02-rusting-batteries/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-06-02-rusting-batteries/ At a Time of Climate Crisis - Promises are easy to make but harder to keep - Irish Times column for May 2025 A few short years ago, the global climate movement surged with optimism. Millions of young people marched, corporations made bold climate promises, and political leaders spoke urgently of a looming crisis demanding immediate action. Today, the wind has left the sails of this movement and... Fri, 02 May 2025 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-05-02-waning-momentum/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-05-02-waning-momentum/ At a Time of Climate Crisis - The greatest cost of new fossil fuel projects may be the missed opportunity to build clean energy - Irish Times column for April 2025 The current government has committed to radically reducing Ireland’s dependence on fossil fuels. Yet forces continue to work against this essential goal. A recent example is the granting of planning permission for a new large power plant on the Shannon Estuary. Fuelled by natural... Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-04-02-sunk-costs/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-04-02-sunk-costs/ Inside Politics podcast from the Irish Times, 11th March - I joined the Irish Times Inside Politics podcast to discuss a recent report by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and Climate Council, with former Green Party leader and Climate minister Eamon Ryan. I asked ChatGPT to summarise the discussion and to generate a cleaned version of the transcript. Link to... Tue, 11 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0700 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-03-11-inside-politics-podcast/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-03-11-inside-politics-podcast/ The implications are alarming - How Trump is Eviscerating US Climate Action President Donald Trump and his administration are systematically dismantling federal climate action in the United States. Trump’s agenda goes beyond championing fossil fuels—his administration is aggressively targeting clean energy. In 2024, the US saw record-breaking growth in renewable energy, supported by falling costs... Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0800 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-03-03-how-trump-is-eviscerating-climate-action/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-03-03-how-trump-is-eviscerating-climate-action/ If we don’t build resilience into our energy transition, we risk going backwards. - After the Storm: Energy Resilience in a Changing Climate Days and days without heat and water. No oven or microwave to cook a hot meal. Uncharged phones; no internet. Whole towns sold out of bread and gas. No power for medical devices. Storm Éowyn’s hurricane-force winds caused unprecedented destruction to... Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0800 https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-02-01-after-the-storm-eowyn-resiliance/ https://hannahdaly.ie/2025-02-01-after-the-storm-eowyn-resiliance/