The Right Plan at The Right Time

Professor James Curran, who has led the development of the island’s climate change action plan, says he is hopeful it will receive Tynwald’s backing next week.

Prof Curran, who was on the island ahead of next week’s Tynwald sitting where the plan will be voted on, was appointed in 2019. 

He told Gef that the island was right to take its time with planning its way towards cutting emissions. 

Prof Curran said: ‘There is a time and a place for everything, it is sometimes very risky to be a leader, because mistakes can be made and you need to develop new techniques and new technology. 

‘That’s pretty risky business, I think the Isle of Man is actually moving at a time that is very appropriate for this particular island in that so many of the technologies are so readily available. 

‘Technology in wind generation and solar generation will deliver power to the island much cheaper than traditional fossil fuels and there is a lot of gathering evidence about how businesses, agriculture and land use management can all contribute a better, happier, healthier, low carbon future, so now is absolutely the right time to move when it well evidenced and economically successful.’

He also said the plan was the ‘culmination of three years of advice and support that I hope I’ve given in arriving at this point.’

The plan, which sets the island on the way to carbon neutrality by 2050, includes interim targets to be achieved this decade. 

These include making the island’s electricity supply carbon neutral by 2030, amending building regs to ensure all new builds are 97% energy efficient and delivering a 15% sector reduction in transport emissions by 2027.

Prof Curran, who is to leave his role in the near future, said: ‘It will be an absolute delight for me to see that plan approved and then I’ll be stepping back because my role has been in providing advice in the development phase and it’s now moving on to delivery and that’s a different set of skills.’

While he will be leaving his role, Prof Curran said he would be keeping a keen interest in what happens on the island and how carbon neutrality, which he believes could be done before 2050, is achieved.