Energy firm ESB has has announced a transformative drive to achieve net-zero by 2040.

Driven to Make a Difference: Net Zero by 2040 sets out a path to achieve this focused on decarbonised electricity, resilient infrastructure and empowering customers. The strategy explicitly maps to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), supporting the global agenda to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

Objectives core to the delivery of the strategy include:

• Decarbonised Electricity: Develop and connect more renewables to the electricity network. Deliver a five-fold increase in renewable electricity, increasing ESB's renewable generation portfolio from almost 1GW to 5GW and reducing the carbon intensity of our generation by two thirds by 2030. ESB Networks and NIE Networks, with Eirgrid and SONI and all renewable developers, are already working to deliver a doubling of the renewable generation connected to the electricity transmission and distribution networks - from 6.2GW today to more than 15GW as both Ireland and Northern Ireland target 80% of electricity from renewables by 2030.

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• Resilient Infrastructure: Resilient electricity networks are absolutely central to climate action. ESB will continue to invest in maintaining electricity resilience, an important and challenging factor in the transition, and in system services, which will be required to help the system operators cope with high volumes of renewables. A fundamental part of the capability to get to Net Zero, is finding a way of storing clean electricity when there is a surplus so that it can be used when the wind isn’t blowing. ESB is committing to play a significant role in making this a reality both through batteries and the other intraday storage and, in longer term, clean energy storage technologies such as hydrogen.

• Empowered Customers: Empower, enable and support customers and communities to achieve net zero, reflecting our commitment to working alongside customers and communities supporting them with the infrastructure, products and services they need to live more sustainably using clean electricity. Specifically, we plan to double the number of ESB’s public EV charge points by 2030 to 3,000 – helping to drive carbon out of transport. And we will deliver 35,000 deep home retrofits through electric Ireland Superhomes – our new partnership with Tipperary Energy Agency – supporting our customers to drive carbon out of heating.

The strategy is being launched in the National Concert Hall by ESB Chief Executive, Paddy Hayes, and Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD.

Mr Hayes, said: "At ESB, we are driven to make a difference and will focus our efforts on the areas where we can make the biggest impact – creating and connecting sustainable, reliable, affordable electricity - and supporting the customers and communities we serve to achieve net zero. By setting a clear, timebound ambition to achieve net zero by 2040, along with a Science Based Target for 2030, we are determined to play our part in taking urgent action to combat climate change, delivering a brighter future."