Thousands of Ballymun homes to be retrofitted to meet net-zero climate goals
Ballymun and Ringsend/Poolbeg have been identified as decarbonising zones which will be central to meeting Dublin City Council’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.This classification means that these areas can act as demonstration sites of what is possible when it comes to climate action at a local level. Local representatives were briefed on the council’s decarbonising plans at the most recent Climate Action and Urban Resilience SPC meeting on January 28, 2026.With the power to transform the environmental impact of these areas over the coming years, Ballymun will need to cut 21,820 tonnes and Ringsend/Poolbeg about 8,780 tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030. This is required to reach the national target of cutting carbon emission by 51% before the end of the decade.Carbon emission figures from 2018 show that Ballymun was responsible for 35,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. The percentage breakdown of these figures were as follows: Transports (37%), residential (35%), commercial (18%), municipal (4%), landfill (3%), wastewater (1%).For Ringsend/Poolbeg the carbon emission for that year stood at 14,591. The percentage breakdown of these figures were as follows: Transports (37%), residential (39%), commercial (18%), municipal (2%), landfill (3%), wastewater (1%).A major focus of this goal is to make homes more energy efficient, with Ballymun and Ringsend/Poolbeg set to have thousands of homes retrofitted. Over 3,600 in Ballymun and 2,400 in Ringsend/Poolbeg will receive works in order to reach a high energy B2 rating.The cost of retrofitting each home is estimated at an average of €56,000 per household. That’s €205 million for 3,652 houses in Ballymun and around €135 million for 2,408 houses in Ringsend/Poolbeg.The installation of solar panels on home and business rooftops will help create clean, local electricity and reduce emissions. Other upgrades include wall insulation, new windows, and air-tightness to keep heat in and lower bills.Another measure to reduce pollution and move away from fossil fuels is the shift toward active travel and environmentally friendly transport. By 2030, 70% of the buses in the decarbonising zones will be electric. Making this switch will cost around €800,000 compared to the current fossil fuel fleet.A modal shift toward walking, cycling, and public transport are central to the council’s goals. Furthermore, they aim for 30% of private cars to switch to electric vehicles by 2030.Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the decarbonising zones relates to ‘district heating,’ which radically rethinks the way homes are heated. Rather than every household having their own individual heating system, this would utilise a shared network, much like an electricity grid.With a network of underground pipes, these could utilise waste heat from data centres, power plants and waste incineration, as well as river and sea water, geothermal energy, and large heat pumps and sea water, geothermal energy, and large heat pumps to carry heat to each individual building. While this system is relatively new to Ireland, they have been used in other European countries for decades.District heating acts as a climate friendly network run on renewable energy that reduces emission and improves air quality. The maintenance of the system is also the responsibility of the centralised operators, meaning residents are spared the burden of maintaining their own heating equipment.The decarbonising plan isn't just about technology, it's about local people taking ownership with residents encouraged to become ‘climate champions’ and spearhead sustainability in their own community. Local stakeholders and businesses like IKEA, Musgraves, Decathlon, EirGrid, the NTA are also being consulted with to mitigate their own climate impact.This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting SchemeJoin our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage .
