Public Sector Mazgazine Energy Edition 2025

Garret Farrelly

tner Par | Head of Energy and Infrastructure Group

Excellence Matters in Energy and Infrastructure

At Matheson, we combine the strength and depth of our Energy and Infr astr ucture Group to deliver on all aspects of energy law including e n e r gy r ela ted M &A , e ne r gy r egulation, d ev elopment and p r ojec t finance of thermal, renewable generation and storage projects, electricity and gas networks, mining, oil and gas exploration.

As par t of our Corporate and Commercial Depar tment, our Energy and Infrastructure Group has the depth of resources and personnel to be able to lead complex and extensive energy related transactions.

Discuss your Irish energy legal needs with Gar ret Far relly at gar ret.far relly@matheson.com or your usual Matheson contact.

Matheson. The law firm of choice for internationally focused companies and financial institutions doing business in and from Ireland.

Winner, 12 Deals of the Year in M&A, Equity Capital Markets, Debt Capital Markets, Financial Services, Loans and Financing Finance Dublin Awards 2019

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Moving Ireland towards a cleaner energy future.

Naturally, everyone wants clean, affordable and efficient energy. Thanks to natural gas, our network already connects Irish homes, businesses and industries with exactly this.

And now we’re preparing to introduce renewable gas into our network, we’re moving Ireland towards an even cleaner energy future.

Discover how natural gas and renewable gas are changing your energy future at gasnetworks.ie/progress

#ProgressNaturally

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The Public Sector Magazine is an informative guide for Government, Civil, Public Sector and Semi State decision-makers. It is distributed to, amongst others, Government Ministers, Ministers of State, Dáil Members, Senators, Secretaries of Departments, Deputy Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, Principal Officers, CEO’s of State and Semi-State Bodies, County Managers, County Councillors, Purchasing Officers, Press Officers, IT Managers and Training Officers, Doctors, Financial Institutions, Unions, Representitive Bodies, Embassies, Public and Private Partnerships and Political Commentators.

Contents

Ireland’s dedicated magazine for the Public Sector, Semi State Bodies, Local Government and Civil Servants

7 In the News

The latest news from Ireland’s energy sector

13 Call to Action Carbon pledge for business

14 On the Farm

The CO2 costs of farming

17 Public Policy

Learning from policies past

18 Lay of the land

Time to abandon the noxious chemical war on weeds

20 The Bogs of Ireland Unlocking nature’s pharmacy

22 Emissions Forecasts A lot done...more to do

25 Covid and CO2 Targets

The likely impact of covid-19 on emissions targets

26 The Time is Now Targeted climate actions needed to meet climate goals

28 Phasing out fossil fuel

The attraction of renewables

30 Green Deal Green potential in programme for Government

38 Sustainability in AIB

AIB’s €5bn Climate Action Fund

41 Green Invest

Green investment is key to sustainable recovery

42 ‘Climate Case Ireland’ Big win for the environment in ‘Climate Case Ireland’

47 Clean Energy Roadmap Roadmap to a Single Energy Market (SEM)

48 Champions of the Earth All roads lead to Costa Rica

50 Promoting Renewables EU approves RESS

52 In Defence Of the Planet Green leaders capturing the world’s attention

56 Statkraft Renews Its Vows Championing Ireland’s renewable energy sector Norwegian style

60 Wind Energy Is Key Overcoming obstacles to fulfil the potential of wind

64 The Clouds Are Parting The future is wind

67 Winds of Change Times are changing for wind farm developers

68 Sustainable Finance Sustainability in the Irish financial services sector

70 Finance with A Conscience Accounting for environment and social considerations

72 Green Finance Explained Many terms are used but what do they all mean

74 Make a Plan

Planning your finances in uncertain times

77 Down at The Docks

Shipping goes green

79 Roadbridge On Board

Helping transform Dublin Port’s infrastructure

80 Towards A Circular Economy The Journey from waste disposal to resource recovery

82 Accelerating Progress

The public sector’s influential role in mitigating climate change

84 Waste Power Dublin’s waste powering over 100,000 homes per annum.

86 Raise the Barriers Sophisticated flood forecasting aids storm defences

89 Champions of Sustainability Carlow County Council’s green agenda

91 High Energy in Cork Cork City Council achieves ISO 50001 certification

92 Eyes on Sligo Unlocking Sligo’s growth potential

96 The Story of Farrell Doyle Preserving the past, shaping the future

98 Trash Talk The trouble with trash

100 Fire Watch Safety starts with prevention

102 Concrete Solutions Concrete and energy efficiency

105 Taking Stock of Heating Ireland’s domestic heating policy compared and contrasted

106 Home Comforts

A green vision for social housing

112 Leaders of The Pack Clúid Housing: A social business with an entrepreneurial approach

116 Responding to Housing Needs Promoting high-quality housing in vibrant communities

LAW SOCIETY DIPLOMA CENTRE

SPRING 2020 COURSES OPEN

The Law Society of Ireland’s Diploma Centre is pleased to offer a range of postgraduate certificate and diploma courses for Spring 2020

The Law Society Diploma Centre, a leading provider of continuing professional legal education and training for over 20 years, is now accepting applications for a range of Spring 2020 courses, many of which will be of particular relevance to those working in the public sector.

Courses on offer include the:

• Certificate in Public Procurement

• Certificate in Commercial Contracts

• Diploma in Compliance and Risk Management

• Certificate in Data Protection Practice

• Certificate in Advanced Negotiation

120 Home Makers

Glenveagh Properties focus on sustainable communities

123 It Starts at Home Reducing the carbon footprint of our homes

128 Cleaner Choices Calor – helping off grid businesses make cleaner energy choices

All courses are part-time and designed to satisfy CPD requirements. Dealing with a packed, professional schedule? All Diploma Centre courses are devised to be taken around a busy schedule, with the possibility to attend many lectures on-site, online, or on “playback” later. Lectures are delivered by leading experts and are open to solicitors, trainees, barristers and suitably qualified professionals.

Apply online or get more information on our full range of courses by visiting www.lawsociety.ie/diplomacentre

Helping shape Ireland’s energy future

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is central to delivering a more sustainable energy future for everyone. Our role is to transform the way we all use energy by moving to more e cient and and clean sources, and by leading innovation in Ireland’s approach to energy. Working with the public, businesses, communities and government, we can all help create a cleaner energy future.

Find out how we can help you at seai.ie Your Energy Matters.

In the News

The latest news from Ireland’s energy sector

€55M BOOST FOR WALKING AND CYCLE

A total of €55m has been allocated to 547 projects in 11 counties by the National Transport Authority to support

pedestrians and cyclists. Local authorities in the Greater Dublin Area and the metropolitan areas of Waterford, Cork, Galway and Limerick are eligible.

The funding will provide for changes to traffic management to facilitate the

IN THE SLOW LANE

Ireland faces a difficult challenge if we are to achieve the target of having 936,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030. The figure equates to one-third of the approximately 2.8m vehicles currently on Irish roads.

In an official briefing document prepared for Climate Action Minister Eamon Ryan, department officials said Ireland has made a promising start but noted that there are challenging factors ahead. The briefing also said Government measures would be needed if the ambitious target was to be achieved

reallocation of road space to improve facilities and safety.

The upgrade of a cycle lane in Castletroy, Limerick, and the resurfacing of a pedestrian area in Galway city are among the projects being finalised.

for the Climate Action Plan. There are approximately 19,000 EV’s in use on Irish roads currently.

A number of state incentives have been introduced to encourage motorists to opt for EVs, including a €5,000 VRT relief, Benefit-In-Kind tax relief, a lower rate of annual motor tax and a 50% reduction on toll rates.

However, the briefing document warned that “the cost of these measure has increased in recent years and modifications will need to be made so as to make the limited expenditure as effective and efficient as possible”.

WIND ON TARGET

Ireland is on course to source 40% of its energy from renewable, according to the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA).

“Ireland is No 1 in the world for the share of electricity demand met by onshore wind,” David Kelly, CEO, IWEA. “Last year we broke records by providing a third of the country’s electricity and along with smaller contributions from other renewable sources, we are now

clearly on track to reach Ireland’s 2020 renewable electricity target. More wind power means less car carbon emissions.”

“As we electrify heating and transport, the need to develop more renewable electricity and to do it more quickly is only going to grow more urgent.”

Meanwhile a new report has predicted offshore wind will be a gamechanger for the industry in Ireland. The study involved 18 researchers and seven academics from MaREI, the SFI Research

APPLE AIMS TO BE ‘CARBON NEUTRAL’

Apple has announced a commitment to be 100% carbon neutral across its entire business, including its supply chain, by 2030. The technology giant said the new pledge would mean that by the end of the decade, every Apple device sold will have net zero climate impact.

The iPhone maker said it was already carbon neutral across its corporate operations globally but would, in the course of its 10-year plan reduce emissions by 75% and develop carbon removal solutions for the remaining quarter of its footprint.

As part of its plans, Apple said it would continue to increase its use of low carbon and recycled materials in its products. The company revealed it had also received

Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine at University College, Cork.

The market opportunities described in the report start with national targets for 70% of renewable energy by 2030.

Dr. Val Cummins, the co-principal researcher said. “The consented Arklow Bank, project as well as the ‘relevant projects in the Irish Sea identified by the Government earlier this year because of their advances with leases or grid will be game-changers.”

commitments from over 70 suppliers to use 100% renewable energy for Apple production as part of efforts to move its entire supply chain to clean power.

Chief executive Tim Cook said: “Businesses have a profound opportunity to help build a more sustainable future, one born of our common concern for the planet we share.

“The innovations powering our environmental journey are not only good for the planet, they’ve helped us make our products more energy efficient and bring new sources of clean energy online around the world. Climate action can be the foundation for a new era of innovative potential, job creation, and durable economic growth

“With our commitment to carbon neutrality, we hope to be a ripple in the pond that creates a much larger change.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ACTIONS

Last year, the Government of Ireland, through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), invested €140 million in sustainable energy upgrades and projects. Among the beneficiaries were 24,700 homeowners, 57 communities, and 4,700 purchasers of electric vehicles.

SEAI highlighted these figures as it reported on its outcomes for 2019: *

€140 million invested by Government in sustainable energy actions across a range of sectors in 2019, securing total investment of €400 million

n 24,700 homeowners, 4,700 car owners, and more than 800 businesses are using less energy, have lower energy

bills and are better placed for carbon tax increases

n 2.5 million tonnes of CO² will be avoided over the lifetime of measures delivered in 2019 * 2019 marked rapid growth in electric vehicle purchases, residential solar PV investment and SEAI’s community energy network

n The Authority published ten policy driven reports, defining the options for Ireland to tackle climate change

n SEAI hosted the inaugural National Energy Research and Policy Conference focused on electricity sector transformation Householders and businesses looking to be part of the movement on climate action and avail of Government supports in 2020 are encouraged to visit www.seai.ie.

€15M FUND FOR LOCAL CLIMATE ACTION APPEAL

The Government should commit €15m to mobilise local action on climate and develop solutions during the transition to a cleaner economy and society, according to charity group, The Community Foundation.

The group also urged the formation of a Friendly Communities Fund with the creation of community energy and sustainable shopping projects.

Community Foundation for Ireland chief, Denise Charlton said: “The debate about whether action is needed is over. We must work to ensure plans to help our communities become successfully sustainable are delivered.

UNITY ON CLIMATE

Mary Robinson has launched a youth climate justice programme which is calling for a united approach to fix the crisis. More than 150 young people engaged online with advocates including the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Ireland South MEP, Grace O’Sullivan.

“The climate crisis affects us all and young people as the generation set to suffer the most have a vital role to play in finding just solutions,” the former Irish president said:

“I am proud to launch this manifesto on behalf of the young people that created it and encourage everyone to sign up to the pledge to take action on climate justice.”

HOUSEHOLDS NEED MORE SUPPORT TO CUT CARBON EMISSIONS

Households and businesses will be slow to make the changes necessary to reduce carbon emissions if they don’t get the right support and incentives, according to the Chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council, Professor John Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald said companies and consumers need to see the benefits in order to be persuaded to investment in improving the energy performance of

CLIMATE TARGETS CAN BE MET

Ireland can meet the EU target of a 30% greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, but only if the 2019 Climate Action Plan is fully implemented.

That is the conclusion of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its emissions projections up to 2040, which adds that full implementation of the plan would result in 3% average annual emissions reductions from 2021 to 2030.

Director general of the EPA, Laura Burke, said, “These latest projections demonstrate that if we implement the actions that are planned, and if all sectors get behind these, then we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

“This is only the first step, however. For Ireland to become the low carbon and climate resilient society and economy that we aspire to, systemic change is required.”

their homes and business premises.

“Transforming Irish society to become carbon neutral is a massive challenge. While it is the right thing to do, it has to be profitable for companies and households to invest in change, but they also need help, advice and encouragement,” he said.

Professor Fitzgerald was speaking at the launch of a joint energy transition strategy for counties Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford which aims not only to meet the national aim of achieving 70% renewable energy by 2030, but to surpass that target.

She said Ireland is now at a pivotal point for its economy and the steps taken in the Covid-19 recovery will shape the country for the next decade. Focusing on climate action as part of a ‘green’ recovery stimulus “offers the opportunity to rebuild our economy, generate new jobs and respond to climate change,” Ms Burke said.

The report did warn, though, that the latest EPA emissions projections started in late 2019 and are underpinned by strong projected growth in key sectors of the economy.

The impact of Covid-19 is not included in these figures, and the impact of the pandemic in terms of greenhouse gas emissions will be incorporated in the next round of projections.

The EPA produced two scenarios in preparing projections - a so-called ‘with existing measures’ scenario and a ‘with additional measures’ scenario.

FACEBOOK’S WIND ENERGY DEAL

Facebook has agreed a deal to purchase the energy produced by a planned wind farm in County Tipperary. The social media giant has signed a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement with Brookfield Renewable Partners which is to build its 28.8 megawatt ‘Lisheen 111’ wind farm over the next two years.

When completed it will be capable of producing enough energy to power 20,000 homes, providing a reduction in CO² emissions of 32,000 tonnes annually.

The deal is part of a wider plan by Facebook to become wholly reliant on renewable energy this year, while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 75%.

According to Facebook, its Irish operations - which include its international HQ in Dublin and a data centre in Clonee, Co. Meath are already entirely powered by wind energy.

The ‘with additional measures’ scenario, which includes the impact of the 2019 Climate Action Plan, will deliver an average reduction in emissions of 2.9% per year until 2030.

In 2020, the sectors with the largest contribution of emissions are agriculture, transport and energy with 32.6%, 19.8% and 18.7% share in total emissions respectively.

In 2030, the contribution from agriculture, transport and energy is projected to change to 38.7%, 16.2% and 15% respectively.

WIND PROJECTS FAST-TRACKED

The Government has fast-tracked the development of seven off-shore wind farm projects as part of its goal of significantly increasing renewable energy generation over the next decade.

The projects, which are being planned by five different firms, have been designated as ‘Relevant Projects’, which will ultimately allow them to apply under upcoming marine planning rules.

The developments approved include two projects by Innogy Renewables, two projects by Codling Wind Park, Oriel

Branding and Signage Experts

Wind Park, Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta and North Irish Sea Array Ltd.

The Irish Wind Energy Association has welcomed the move, which it says will “energise Ireland’s offshore wind industry and puts us on the path to achieving our 2030 targets for offshore wind.”

POLLUTION PLUMMETS

Researchers at Marine and Renewable Energy Ireland (MaREI), a research centre in energy, climate and marine at University College Cork (UCC), has revealed the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on Ireland’s energy-related pollution levels.

Since Covid-19 restrictions came into force the use of planes, trains and vehicles have all dramatically fallen.

The analysis examines Ireland’s pollution levels prior to lockdown measures and compares it with those levels during lockdown. Among the findings is that pollution from cars has dropped by 50%, but air pollution from solid fuel burning has not changed.

In Ireland, the average commuter spends 28.2 minutes driving to work, equating to around an hour per day. That means for every week Ireland is in lockdown, people will reclaim five hours

that would have otherwise been spent in their car.

The energy we use for transport accounts for about 40% of Ireland’s energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions from private cars are nearly twice the amount of flights. Travelling to work and school accounts for over a third of the journeys taken by Irish people each year.

Each week the school run requires Irish parents to drive a seven million kilometres in total, emitting an estimated of 1,200 tonnes of CO² emissions. That is equivalent to the annual driving of about 400 cars.

During this time of significant remote virtual working, electricity has become our primary source of energy, providing power for office work, lighting and entertainment. The research illustrates that every day is the weekend, as electricity usage patterns now replicate a weekend demand profile seven days a week.

The analysis shows that the demand for electricity has seen a decrease of between 5% and 10% over seasonal expectations since early March as a result of the Covid-19 measures.

Meanwhile, nine out of 10 flights have been cancelled since restrictions commenced, and if flight restrictions continue, it would be the equivalent of switching off the State’s largest electricity generating station at Moneypoint, in Co Clare for six months, the research shows.

In Ireland, flights are responsible for 3.3 million tonnes of CO² emission every year, which is the equivalent of one car driving 363,000 laps of the planet.

The World Health Organisation estimates annual deaths of 1,500 per year are attributable to outdoor air pollution in Ireland and the EPA has reported a decrease in concentrations of up to 50% of nitrogen dioxide at many monitoring stations across the National Air Quality Monitoring Network.

Call to Action

Business must play a lead role in helping Ireland achieve climate action targets

Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI) is the country’s leading advisers on sustainability. In 2018, it launched Ireland’s first low carbon pledge for business where signatory companies originally committed to reducing their Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon intensity by 50% by 2030 and to report on their progress on an annual basis.

In November 2019, BITCI broadened the pledge to reduce carbon emissions by including for the first time commitments on business travel as well as constraints on waste generation and water consumption. The low carbon pledge made by 55 businesses in Ireland will now incorporate some indirect or Scope 3 carbon emission sources under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

About BITCI

The companies are required to report back annually on how they are tackling their carbon footprint. Last June, the inaugural report, in partnership with PwC, reported that major progress was being achieved in meeting targets set for 2030. The next report will be launched on World Environment Day, 5th June 2020.

BITCI CEO Tomás Sercovich said reducing emissions from business travel was a new challenge, particularly as many companies are major travel consumers.

“In addition, we will be asking signatory companies to start the next step in understanding the spread of their carbon impact by probing what are the major significant indirect carbon emission sources within their supply chain. They will be expected to ensure that their suppliers have to fulfil a low carbon approach to their operations. This will have a multiplier effect in cutting emissions, promoting efficiency and preparedness for a decarbonised economy.” he said

He said: “In order to address the climate crisis, we ultimately want business to set targets based on science and help Ireland achieve its ambition of being a carbon neutral economy by 2050 and help support the wider EU ambition of being a carbon neutral continent by 2050”.

The pledge companies are drawn from traditionally carbon intensive sectors such as agriculture/agribusiness and energy/ utilities but also includes pharma, beverages, transport, communications, retailing, technology and professional services. The breadth of involvement across business and industry illustrates BITCI’s commitment to ensuring that there is cross sectoral support in battling greenhouse gas emissions.

Founded in 2000, Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI) is the network for sustainability. It works with companies on all areas of sustainability from transitioning to a low carbon economy to working in the area of social inclusion. Visit www. bitc.ie for a copy of the inaugural Low Carbon Report.

Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI) and PwC launched the inaugural ‘Business Working Together for a Low Carbon Ireland’ in 2019. The benchmark report showed how companies have engaged positively with the challenge and already secured significant emissions reductions of harmful greenhouse gases.

Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI) and PwC launched the inaugural ‘Business Working Together for a Low Carbon Ireland’ in 2019. The benchmark report showed how companies have engaged positively with the challenge and already secured significant emissions reductions of harmful greenhouse gases. The next report will be launched in June 2020.

The Costs of Farming

Farming is being singled out as an obstacle to achieving Ireland’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030

The agricultural sector is the single biggest emitter of planet warming greenhouse gases in Ireland. The latest EPA figures indicate that out of total annual national emissions of 60.51 Mt CO²eq, the agriculture sector is responsible for 20.6 Mt CO²eq of emissions – effectively amounting to 34% of national emissions.

This amounts to a third (33%) of all of the country’s GHG emissions and is significantly higher than from most other countries in Europe, where emissions from agriculture are closer to 10%. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) predicts that emissions from agriculture will continue to grow to 2020 and 2030, mostly as a result of increasing dairy herd numbers. `

Reducing these emissions is essential to meeting Ireland’s emissions targets can meet its international goals is seen as a particular challenge, particularly since government policy forecasts increasing agri-food output over the next decade.

Food Wise 2025 – the 10-year plan for the agri-food sector – has commitments of increasing production by 65% and food exports by 85% (€19 billion) over 10 years.

Emissions from agriculture come from a mixture of different sources including the use of fertiliser and animal waste. But the majority (over half of all emissions from agriculture) come, in

simple terms, from cows belching, or more specifically from the process of enteric fermentation.

Other GHG chemicals like nitrous oxide (N2O) also come from our agricultural sector. N2O has a global warming potential 298 times greater than carbon dioxide and is released mainly from the fertiliser used in farming.

There are currently some 6.6 million cattle in Ireland, 3.8 million sheep and approximately 1.6 million pigs. The agri-food sector which is dominated by beef and dairy farming accounts for almost 8.5% of national employment and generates some €13.9 billion to the Irish economy.

Over the last five years there has actually been an increase in the national herd following the abolition of the EU imposed milk quotas in 2015 which has resulted in a significant increase in milk production.

The emphasis on maximising meat and dairy is damaging the countryside and contributing hugely to greenhouse gas emissions, according to environmentalists.

According to Professor John FitzGerald, Chair of the Climate Change Advisory reducing the suckler herd would make an “important and cost-effective contribution to mitigation, could support alternative land uses, such as

afforestation, raise farm incomes and reduce exposure of the sector to external market shocks”.

However, Irish politicians are reluctant to demand a reduction in cattle numbers to tackle climate change. In its final report, the Oireachtas Climate Action Committee stated that there was a need for “a more diversified, resilient, sustainable and equitable model for Irish agriculture”, but it did not call for a reduction the national herd.

In addition, farming representative bodies such as the Irish Farm Association (IFA), the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) dismiss calls to cull the national herd. “Our farmers are amongst the most carbon efficient food producers in the world, because of our grass-based model of food production,” says IFA president Joe Healy, who also argues that reducing the Irish suckler herd will lead to an increase in global emissions because beef would be produced in countries with less sustainable systems.

“We won’t be getting rid of our livestock. We produce the best food in the world, naturally, from animals grazing in fields,” Joe Healy said at the IFA AGM in January.

“We are the most carbon efficient dairy producer in Europe and amongst the top five in beef. It’s important that this sustainable production is not restricted, as it would lead to increased international climate emissions.”

However, last year An Táisce has produced a report using data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) to show that Ireland was the most carbon-intensive producer of beef and third most carbon intensive producer of dairy in the EU.

In addition, a 2017 report from the European Parliament’s

Committee on Agriculture found that Ireland has the least carbon efficient agricultural sector in Ireland.

Meanwhile, a report on worldwide climate change and land, from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found that across the world as much as 37% of greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture and food production. Meanwhile, about 70% world’s ice-free land is now affected by human activity.

The UN experts found that more people could be fed using less land if individuals cut down on eating meat, moving towards a more plant-based diet (but they stopped short of saying people needed to become vegan or vegetarian).

A number of other reports published in recent years also stress the need to reduce meat consumption across the world.

Last year, Teagasc – the Agriculture and Food Development Authority – published a document which found that GHG emissions in Irish agriculture were set to increase over the period from 2021 to 2030.

The report identified a total of 28 different abatement (mitigation) measures that could be carried out to reduce emissions. These measures have been flagged by government and the IFA as the roadmap towards reducing Ireland’s emissions from agriculture.

Among other measures identified by Teagasc, a range of genetic improvements to cattle and technological improvements on farms, as well as changes fertiliser type, better use of land and increased afforestation (growing trees or forests) to soak up carbon from the atmosphere were identified.

According to Teagasc, these measures if implemented could save 6.19m tonnes of CO² emissions.

Master of Public Policy

What can we learn from successful and failed policies about the policy-making process in Ireland and how to make that process more effective?

Public policy making has become more challenging in recent years in the context of the increasing complexity of clients’ needs, growing expectations regarding appropriate service quality and diminishing public spending. UCD’s Master of Public Policy (MPP) is specifically designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to meet these challenges.

The MPP attracts professionals and practitioners in public, private and non-profit sectors, as well as recent graduates. The programme develops skills in policy analysis, policy research, policy implementation and evaluation. The MPP provides an opportunity to analyse policies across the world to better understand how and why particular policy choices are made, in what contexts, and with what consequences for the lives of those they affect. The MPP equips graduates with the knowledge base and the analytical tools to make good evidence-based policy, influence policymakers, and contribute to bringing about change in society.

MPP graduates work in the public sector across a variety of businesses and in voluntary sector bodies. Recent graduates of the MPP work in positions in Ireland and internationally and roles include policy analysts, policy advisors, communications and public affairs managers and policy officers, among many others. MPP graduates are currently working in organisations including Irish public service departments, Health Services Executive (HSE), the child and family agency (Tusla), Apple Ireland, Morgan McKinley, the Peter McVerry Trust, The Wheel and Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI).

O’NeillDepartment of Foreign Affairs & Trade

I chose this programme over others because of its interdisciplinary nature which allowed me to take modules from a range of Schools in UCD and broaden my knowledge and to think more analytically and creatively.

There was a great mix of students both part-time and full-time from the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors and participants varied from those embarking on their careers to those well advanced in their fields. The comparative approach to many modules coupled with the international mix of students fostered a better understanding of public policy processes in an international context.

The MPP programme has given me a number of important and transferable skills applicable to my day to day work in the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade including better critical analysis and research skills and an understanding of the analytical tools and concepts required for good policy making. The programme has already opened career doors for me, and I have no doubt it will continue to do so in the years to come.

The scholarship has not only provided me with a platform to support me into my career path but has also served as a true encouragement to me as a woman, striving to secure a leadership role within the policy sector. I carry with me a great sense of pride as a woman, and a desire to effect positive change and enhance equality in society, particularly for women. The core values and goals of the 30% Club surrounding gender balance, coupled with the Master of Public Policy (MPP) offered by UCD, have given me an excellent framework from which I will be very well equipped and qualified to progress. The Master of Public Policy programme offers students foundational knowledge of public policy as well as the chance to specialise in a chosen area of policy. I have chosen climate change as climate justice is a true passion of mine but more importantly, it is one of the biggest challenges our world faces. My studies have deepened my skills and capacities in my specialist area and I see many opportunities to develop my expertise further and to build a successful career in my chosen field.

Richard

Charlotte OlhausenRecipient of UCD Master of Public Policy 30% Club Scholarship

Lay of the land

Summer is in full flow and the days are lengthening, but it is long past time that we abandoned the noxious chemical war on weeds writes Fiona

O’Connell,

author and columnist of Lay of the Land in The Sunday Independent

White signs are dotted along the riverbank in this country town this summer. ‘Managed for wildlife’ they read, above a drawing of a bumblebee getting stuck into a pink-headed thistle.

It’s a welcome antidote to the scary looking outfits, like something out of science fiction, worn by folk spraying weed killer outside supermarkets, schools and along country roads.

Such pesticides keep golf courses as pristine and lifeless as the lawns of the McMansions that seem to be sprouting up everywhere, turning once fertile fields and magical meadows into sad still-lifes of suburban sameness - bereft of birds and bees.

I can’t remember the last time I saw a ladybird.

For the war we have long waged on weeds adversely affects insects and wildlife. As Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book, Silent Spring, published in 1962, put it, the “mindset that advocated chemicals as weapons on farms, pastures and forests set the course of war in Vietnam. Chemicals - herbicides contaminated with dioxin as well as napalm - were our weapons of mass destruction”.

Indeed, two days before her book came out, President Kennedy signed his approval for the so-called “rainbow herbicides” (Agents Orange, White Purple, Green, Pink and Blue, named for the coloured bands on the herbicide barrels) to be sprayed on Vietnamese crops.

Operation Ranch Hand increased significantly under Lyndon Johnson - the intensive environmental abuse giving rise to the term ‘ecocide’.

As Carson anticipated, the powerful agrichemical industry went on the attack even before her book was published. Nevertheless, Silent Spring resulted in sweeping environmental change. The US herbicide programme ended in 1971, when Nixon’s administration was forced to disclose covered-up research data about one of the herbicides in Agent Orange. Not before 40pc of coastal mangrove forests, inestimable marine nurseries, and more than five-million acres of upland forests and agricultural lands were destroyed.

Is it a chilling coincidence that one of the biggest producers of Agent Orange - Monsanto Chemical Co - produces Roundup, the most popular weed killer in the world today?

Many farmers who rely on Roundup to control weeds are furious that it may soon be banned in the EU because of fears surrounding a key ingredient - glyphosate - which in 2015 the World Health Organisation’s cancer agency said it believed it “probably” caused cancer in humans. This was disputed last year by a committee known as the RAC, which agreed to restrict warnings to the current advice that Roundup can cause “serious eye damage” and is “toxic to aquatic life with longlasting effects.”

Author Fiona O’Connell pictured with Eamonn Ryan, Green Party Leader and Minister for Climate Action, Communication Networks and Transport at the launch of ‘Lay of the Land’.

LAY OF THE LAND: ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fiona O’Connell is a writer and columnist. She attended the National College of Art & Design before completing a BA in English and Philosophy at UCD, where she received the Mary Colum Award. She lives on the banks of a river in Co Kilkenny.

Leaving me wondering why those riverbank signs are painted white, the symbolic colour of surrender. And how easy the living really is for the fish jumping beneath them this summertime.

Lay of the Land is a collection of her Sunday Independent columns and was launched by Green Party Leader and Minister for Climate Action, Eamonn Ryan who described the collection as a “lovely antidote and reaction to the fast pace of modern life, slightly old fashioned and nostalgic, very human, very humble and a really good read.”

With a core focus on rural Ireland, she writes with insight and lyrical wit on a wide range of thought-provoking topics that embrace conservation and animal rights, as well as history, folklore, biography and the natural world.

Lay of the Land published by Mentor Books. For further information please visit: www.mentorbooks.ie

Unlocking Nature’s Pharmacy

The Peatlands, or Bogs of Ireland constitute a unique national resource. As a result of evolution in these environments, they have become custodians of a varied and rare global biodiversity that has accumulated over many millions of years.

Turf, harvested from bogland, has been used for the provision of fuel for power generation and domestic heating in Ireland for many years. This practice has contributed both to the decline of bogland and to poor air quality in Ireland, which has been estimated to cause the premature death of over 1,500 Irish people every year (EPA). The European Commission has ruled that industrial-scale exploitation of Irish peatlands, carried out mainly on large blanket bogs in Kildare and Offaly, will cease by 2030. The ending of industrial harvesting of boglands, which in the past at peak harvesting activities sustained circa 2,500 jobs across the Midlands of Ireland, now provides a unique opportunity to confer alternative socio-economic, ecological and educational benefits to local communities and nationally. Today Ireland can boast to having one quarter of a million hectares of conserved peatlands in Europe. With the global vision of moving to a greener economy, there is a compelling argument to advocate clean energy and to seek sustainable development programmes for bogs that promote local employment and enhance the lives of Irish citizens.

Natural Product Chemist Professor Helen Sheridan of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Trinity

College Dublin has a vision for a research strategy which will apply the lens of natural product science to investigate the potential of the flora, soil and water systems of the Irish boglands to yield novel therapeutic and commercial formulae. Plant species and their microbiomes and surrounding waters native to these environments may, on a macro level, offer economic solutions to the future of these resources and to the communities who have worked on them. Further, Professor Sheridan’s experience with herbal medicinal species and plant metabolomics (the study of the chemical variation in plant species) leads her to believe that the application of metabolomic analysis to bogland species and to other high value, non-native species, may offer significant economic returns from cultivation in these areas while promoting biodiversity. Professor Sheridan has recently received € 6M in funding to initiate a bogland biodiscovery project entitled ‘Unlocking Nature’s Pharmacy from Bogland Species’.

Phytopharmacology, which combines modern chemistry with plant biology, forms the basis of several thriving industries nationally and internationally. Notably, terrestrial plant species

Ollscoil Átha Cliath | The University of Dublin

and microbes have played a key role in providing lead molecules in the quest for global drug discovery. Many drugs in clinical practice were developed from herbal remedies used over generations. These include aspirin (from the bark of the willow tree), digitalis (a drug for heart failure derived from foxglove) and atropine (a drug used in anaesthetics from the Belladonna plant). Many medicinal plants are currently grown globally to produce clinical drug candidates (e.g. opiates, taxanes), and other species are grown because they produce chemical starting materials for complex medicines. In the more recent past, modern drug discovery has combined with traditional herbal medicine, culminating in the discovery of the antimalarial drug artemisinin from the Chinese plant Artemesia annua, for which Professor Youyou Tu received the Nobel Prize. Overall, there is an urgent global need for novel therapeutics for a range of diseases and infections with unmet medical need from anticancer (e.g. pancreatic, lung, brain) and antiviral drugs (e.g. Corona, HIV, Zika, Marburg) to therapies capable of treating the unmet need in autoimmune diseases. Unexplored biodiversity is a rich potential source of such therapies. Trinity College Dublin (TCD) is recognised as one of the world’s leading research-intensive universities. TCD researchers are leading nationally and competing internationally, as evidenced by their associated research outputs. The TCD research strategy is based on developing interdisciplinary areas with the critical mass of world-class researchers delivering research of national and international importance. Trinity is a member of The League of

European Research Universities (LERU), www.leru.org, a network of 23 leading research universities in 12 European countries. LERU is a respected voice in the European Higher Education Area and is committed to upholding sound conditions for research, especially basic research and teaching.

Professor Sheridan is one of Ireland’s leading academics in the area of Natural Product Chemistry. She has been pivotal in the development of new medicines from natural origin and has brought a lead molecule from ethnomedical use to Phase 1 human clinical trials. Professor Sheridan is a founding and life member of an international Sino/ European consortium, working on the application of quality, safety and efficacy of traditional medicines. She is on the Board of Directors of the International Natural Product Sciences Taskforce (INPST) and acts as Phytochemical expert to the Irish Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA). Her national and international reputation as a key opinion leader in the field of natural products coupled with her success in securing funding for the bogland bio-discovery project, ‘Unlocking Nature’s Pharmacy from Bogland Species’, have been pivotal in recently establishing NatPro, a centre for natural product research, based at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at TCD. Helen together with Materials and Formulation Scientist, Professor Anne Marie Healy, are the Academic Directors of the centre and Dr Gaia Scalabrino is the Non-Academic Executive Director, bringing product development expertise to the centre.

NatPro has the mandate to undertake pioneering research and work with Irish companies from SMEs to multinational

corporations, to help commercialise valuable research and bring new products to the marketplace. Professor Sheridan (hsheridn@ tcd.ie) would be delighted to hear from industry partners or rural communities that have an interest in this research and associated outreach activities and in supporting the ambition of Unlocking Nature’s Pharmacy from Bogland Species. The social and economic benefits that can be realised are many and will directly benefit Ireland’s future view on how this precious and under-utilised resource can be repurposed into the 21st century.

Terrestrial plant species and microbes have played a key role in providing lead molecules in the quest for global drug discovery with many drugs in clinical practice having been developed from herbal remedies used over generations

Professor Helen Sheridan

Reducing CO² Emissions

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) recently published its Energy-Related CO² Emissions in Ireland report which shows that energy-related CO² emissions declined slightly in 2018, even as energy use increased.

This was due to changes in the mix of fuels used, particularly for electricity generation, where more renewable energy and less coal was used. However, the overall reduction was not enough to keep Ireland on track to meet long term decarbonisation goals. Commenting on the report Jim Scheer, Head of Data and Insights at SEAI, said: “This report shows us once again the challenges we face in reducing our CO² emissions from energy use. CO² emissions from travel and heating our homes and businesses increased again in 2018. While emissions from electricity decreased, we have a hill to climb if we are to make meaningful inroads in the other sectors. The data in this report

pre-dates the release of the Government’s Climate Action Plan. The ambitious course of action plotted in that plan has the potential to turn these trends around. It’s important now that citizens, businesses and Government work together to deliver on those actions to tackle the climate crisis.”

Energy is commonly split into three sectors: transport, heat and electricity. In 2018, transport was the biggest emitter of energy-related CO² emissions accounting for 40%. Energy used for heat was the next biggest at 33% and electricity generation was responsible for 27%. Transport emissions increased by 24% between 2012 in 2018, in line with economic growth. Transport

remains almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels. Private cars were responsible for the largest share of CO² emissions from transport in 2018 at 40%. The largest growth was in air travel which increased by 8% in 2018.

In the heat sector, fossil fuels used to heat homes were the largest source of CO² emissions at 47%, up 8% on the previous year. Industry had the next largest share at 21%. Even with an increase in the amount of renewable energy used for heat, Ireland has the second-lowest share of renewable energy used for heat in the EU.

CO² emissions from electricity generation fell in 2018, even as the amount of electricity used increased. The reduction in CO² intensity of electricity was due mostly to two factors, a 44% decrease in coal used for electricity generation because of a technical fault at Ireland’s only coal fired power plant, and a 16% increase in wind-generated electricity. Zero-carbon renewable energy generated 33% of all electricity in 2018, up from just 7% in 2005.

Using renewable energy for heat, electricity and transport reduced CO² emissions by 4.7 million tonnes of CO². This is equivalent to the CO² emissions of half of all homes in Ireland. Despite this, the latest data shows that the CO² emissions intensity of Ireland’s energy supply is 20% higher than the European average. This is due to greater use of high carbon fossil fuels including coal, peat and oil.

“Reducing CO² emissions from energy use requires increased energy efficiency and increasing the use of renewable energy in our energy mix. To achieve our targets, we need to tackle this urgently in every part of society,” explains Scheer. “As citizens, we can play our part by changing how we use energy in our homes and how we travel. There are a wide range of Government supports available via SEAI, which have already supported over 420,000 homeowners with energy upgrades

and around 9,000 car owners to purchase an electric vehicle. Community-based action is also on the rise. People should get involved in the transition and avail of these, and other supports where they can.”

The 2018 energy results underline the need to swiftly implement the Climate Action Plan, which sets out over 180 actions to tackle the climate crisis across all sectors of the economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 36%. From an energy perspective, these include the phasing out of coal and peat from electricity generation, and taking the necessary actions to deliver 70% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030; creating a new national retrofit model to upgrade the energy efficiency of 500,000 existing homes to B2 equivalent Building Energy Rating; Installing 600,000 electric heat pumps to replace fossil fuel home heating; Enabling homeowners to generate their own electricity and sell it back to the grid under a micro-generation scheme from 2021 and increasing the number of EV’s on Irish roads to 1 million by 2030.

For the full EnergyRelated CO² Emissions in Ireland 2005 – 2018 report visit www.seai/ ie/emissionsreport

ENERGY-RELATED CO2 EMISSIONS IN IRELAND 2005 – 2018

THE NATIONAL AMBULANCE SERVICE

The National Ambulance Service (NAS) is the statutory pre-hospital emergency and intermediate care provider for the state. In the Dublin area, ambulance services are provided by NAS and Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB). Aero Medical services are provided by the Irish Air Corps and the Irish Coast Guard by agreement with each organisation. At a local level, the NAS is also supported by over 275 (Mar 2020) Community First Responder schemes, responding to particular types of medical emergencies (i.e. cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, chest pain, choking and stroke) where it is essential for the patient to receive immediate lifesaving care whilst an emergency response vehicle is en route to the patient.

In recent years, the NAS has embarked on a strategic investment programme to develop a modern, quality service that is safe, responsive and fit for purpose. The service is implementing a significant reform agenda which mirrors many of the strategic changes underway in ambulance services internationally as they strive for high performance and efficiency whilst coping with a continuously increasing demand on services. CONTACT DETAILS: National Ambulance Service, Health Service Executive, Rivers Building, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 XNP2

PHONE: 01 463 1624/26 E-MAIL: director.nas@hse.ie

Covid-19 And Climate Change

The Covid-19 global lockdown has had a dramatic effect on carbon emissions, with reductions of up to 17% on CO² levels globally. However, the trend is likely to be temporary, according to analysis by climate scientists. Michael Burke, Managing Director of Greenview Group explains the likely impact of the coronavirus pandemic on greenhouse gas emissions targets.

Whilst governments are drawing up stimulus plans to recover the economy following the catastrophic effects of the pandemic, investment in energy-saving measures to secure a sustainable energy future must not be overlooked. This should include measures to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and homes, create jobs, reduce energy consumption and help the environment. While 2020 has been an extremely challenging period, we now have an excellent opportunity to invest in a secure and sustainable energy future, but optimal use of resources is crucial. Greenview Group works with a wide range of public sector clients including local councils, energy companies, housing associations, transport bodies, health trusts and the education sector, in addition to private sector clients, to deliver energy efficiency improvements.

Investment in energy-saving measures brings twofold benefits, not only stimulating the economy but also accelerating carbon reductions and energy efficiency. The impact that this will achieve is not temporary and will make a lasting difference to our future. We work with clients to deliver a wide range of technologies including renewable energy, battery storage, LED lighting, heating upgrades and fuel-switching programmes. Our work brings innovation through the life cycle of systems, minimises environmental impact, integrates with client asset data, whilst of course obtaining value for money.

Many clients are realising that capital investment budgets stretch further than a decade ago, enabling greater investment. By reducing

ongoing spend and other associated costs, our clients have been able to invest the savings in additional projects, improving the social and environmental engagement within their wider community. The move to efficient, affordable warmth within social housing reduces the effects of fuel poverty and provides simplified payment options and improved bill management for home heating.

Our experienced teams help clients invest in new technology such as solar PV installations and battery storage, but also improving existing infrastructure such as switching to LED lighting in transport hubs. One recent project enabled a client to reduce lighting costs by 50%. Our commitment to innovation has delivered increased budgetary savings, reduced building running costs, a reduction in fuel poverty for social housing tenants and delivered continuous quality improvements alongside environmental benefits. Investing in climate action measures realises savings for all parties, providing improved budget management, reduction in fuel costs, more efficient systems and reduced maintenance costs.

GREENVIEW GROUP

To make your journey towards a more efficient future, contact Michael Burke at the Greenview Group: Tel: +44 (0) 2890 342478 Email: info@greenviewgroup.com

The Time is Now

Targeted climate and environmental actions needed for long term improvement says EPA

Greenhouse Gas emissions projections published for the period 2019-2040 reveal that Ireland can meet our current EU target to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 30% by 2030. This would require full implementation of the measures in the 2019 Climate Action Plan and would result in 3% average annual emissions reductions from 2021 to 2030. Commenting on the figures Laura Burke, Director General, EPA said we have reached a pivotal point for our economy and all sectors need to adopt the measures required to develop a low carbon economy.

“These latest projections demonstrate that if we implement the actions that are planned, and if all sectors get behind these, then we can reduce our Greenhouse Gas Emissions. This is only the first step however, and - for Ireland to become the low carbon and climate resilient society and economy that we aspire

to - systemic change is required.

“We are now at a pivotal point for our economy and the steps we take in our recovery will shape Ireland for the next decade. Focusing on climate action as part of a ‘green’ recovery stimulus offers the opportunity to rebuild our economy, generate new jobs and respond to climate change.

“What Covid-19 has taught us is, that while the dramatic decline in economic activity and travel may have resulted in a reduction in greenhouse gases in the short term, long term improvements can only be achieved with targeted climate and environmental actions that change consumption and production systems in a sustainable and lasting manner.”

Early indications are that transport and electricity demand has declined since the beginning of the lockdown with diesel sales down over 20% in the year to end May,

and petrol sales down over 30%. The impact of Covid-19 is not included in the most recent EPA figures and will be incorporated in the next round of projections.

The EPA projections show significant emission reductions across transport, the energy sector and households with emissions from agriculture also projected to decrease. These emission reductions are to be achieved through a range of actions, committed to in the Climate Action Plan. These measures overall are projected to contribute to emissions savings of 79 Mt CO² eq. by 2030 (See Panel).

In addition, Stephen Treacy, Senior Manager, EPA points out that achieving a low carbon pathway for Ireland and meeting future targets will rely on maximising the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through improved land management, of, for example, forestry, grasslands and wetlands.

“Appropriate land management is a vital part of action on climate change, not just in Ireland but also across Europe and globally,” he said. “Where land management is providing a store of carbon, this should be maintained or enhanced. Where land management is resulting in emissions of CO ² , this source should be reduced or eliminated, and where land is degraded or has lost its ability to absorb or store carbon dioxide, it should be restored,” he said.

EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGETS

Agriculture

A reduction of at least 16.5 Mt CO² eq. between 2021 and 2030, by implementing the measures such as low emissions slurry spreading techniques and switching to stabilised urea fertilisers for crops and pasture.

Transport

Almost 1 million electric vehicles on our roads by 2030, including 840,000 passenger EVs and 95,000 electric vans and trucks, will help achieve a projected decrease in emissions from the sector of 38% over the period to 2030.

Energy

70% renewable energy in electricity generation; the installation of 600,000 heat pumps and the retrofitting of 500,000 homes for improved energy efficiency to deliver, by 2030, a projected 34% reduction in Energy Industries emissions, a 53% reduction in Residential emissions and a 36% reduction in Commercial & Public services emissions.

The Attraction of Renewables

Anthony Rourke, EY Ireland explains the key reasons for Ireland jumping 6 places in EY Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index to 12 out of 40 countries

Ireland has climbed 6 places from 18th to 12th out of 40 countries in the latest Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness index published by EY. This index examines the attractiveness of countries to those investing in renewable energy activity and projects.

Despite the global slowdown caused by COVID-19, the renewable energy sector is expected to bounce back quickly as the long-term drivers for investment remain strong, according to the 55th EY Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI). The latest attractiveness index considers the potential impact of the pandemic and looks at the resilience of countries in the index.

According to Anthony Rourke, Government and Infrastructure Advisory Director, EY Ireland the detail provided by the Government on the Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) at the end of last year has been the key factor in Ireland’s improved ranking. “Under this scheme, the Irish Government will hold auctions between 2020 – 2027 and as a result we anticipate a growth in Ireland’s renewable energy capacity by 30% over the next three years,” he said.

“This will contribute to Ireland’s efforts to reach its 70% renewable energy target by 2030 across the solar and onshore/ offshore wind sectors. Ireland’s strong performance this year is

also attributed to the significant 46% reduction in the use of coal and oil in generating power since 2015.

“Plans for the Climate Action (Amendment) Bill 2020 which will set a target to decarbonise the economy by 2050 at the latest, published in the new programme for Government, should further support Ireland’s position in future rankings.”

The EY report highlights how climate change and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are being increasingly recognised as key determinants of a company’s future value creation potential.

Institutional investors are demanding that businesses not only deliver financial performance, but also show how they make a positive contribution to society. As a result, companies are having to re-evaluate their corporate strategies to curb their emissions, enhance their governance, and improve their climaterelated disclosures. This has resulted in institutional investors increasing the capital they are allocating to renewable energy infrastructure as a means to hedge their climate exposure, according to our analysis.

“This in many ways is a defining and transformative moment for the energy industry,” Rourke explains. “Investors are increasingly seeking to collaborate and invest in companies where climate change and sustainable development is embedded in their strategy,” he said. “Environmental, social and governance issues together with climate change remain the dominant longterm drivers for renewable investment here in Ireland.

Investors are looking for reassurance that companies understand this link between the non-financial performance of the business and the successful delivery of the business strategy.”

The report also highlights the extent to which large-scale energy storage is critical to decarbonise electricity systems, as well as the conditions needed to encourage investment in utility-scale battery storage. As electricity grids decarbonise, vast amounts of energy storage will be needed, and utilities and developers are slowly ramping up investments in large-scale batteries.

According to the report, 12.6GWh of battery storage is planned to be installed this year, making 2020 a record year for energy storage growth. And in the longer-term, a 13-fold increase in capacity growth, from around 17GWh currently to 230GWh by 2025, is anticipated.

GLOBAL VIEW

For the first time since 2016, the US has secured the top position in the index. This is largely because of a short-term extension to the Production Tax Credit and long-term growth in offshore wind, with plans to invest US$57b to install up to 30GW by 2030.

China’s growth in renewables has slowed, as the government looks to wean the market off subsidies towards a more competitive landscape. This coupled with reduced demand as a result of COVID-19, has caused China to drop to second in the index, but forecasts remain optimistic for long-term growth.

France has moved up from fourth position to third, securing strong power

“This in many ways is a defining and transformative moment for the energy industry. Investors are increasingly seeking to collaborate and invest in companies where climate change and sustainable development is embedded in their strategy.”

prices and awards of 1.4GW for wind and solar developers in its latest auction, as it gradually weans its grid off nuclear power.

The UK, ranked sixth, made a milestone proposal to re-include onshore wind and solar projects in the next contracts-fordifference auction, encouraging greater and more diverse renewable energy development. Spain improved by four positions to rank eleventh, despite being hit hard by COVID-19, as climate and energy policy remains a high priority for the new coalition government. It has set out aggressive but achievable plans to increase wind and solar, and most investors remain positive about Spain’s medium-term prospects.

‘Green New Deal’

Ireland’s coalition government spells out an ambitious climate change agenda in ‘Green New Deal’

500,000 homes will be retrofitted to a B2 energy rating under the scheme which will commence in the midlands and households will be given the option to repay retrofitting costs through their utility bills.

Ireland’s new coalition government has set itself an ambitious goal to deliver steep greenhouse gas emissions cuts every year to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

In the shorter terms the government has committed to an average 7 per cent per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030 - amounting to a 51% reduction over the decade.

The 2050 target will be set in law by the Climate Action Bill which will be introduced in the Dáil within the first 100 days of government alongside a newly established Climate Action Council.

The Climate Action bill will define economy-wide five-year carbon budgets and set a cap on how much each sector can emit. Under the plan, every minister is being asked to make climate action a “core pillar” of their new departmental strategies, which must be produced within six months of the Government taking office.

The Government has also proposed the establishment of a standing Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action, with powers similar to the Public Accounts Committee.

The programme for Government document states: “As we set our society on a trajectory towards net zero emissions by 2050, it is vital that there is adequate time and effort devoted to working with communities and sectors in designing and delivering the pathway to achieve the goal in a fair way.

“This fundamental step change in ambition and broadening of our target horizon to a 7pc reduction average per annum will be underpinned by the core philosophy of a just transition. We are committed to ensuring that no sector of society or community is left behind in the movement to a low-carbon future.”

In setting the initial carbon budget for the next five years, the coalition pledged to “incorporate measures which initiate significant change”. However, it noted their impact may only be felt from 2026, the start of the second carbon budget period when the government hopes to achieve the average 7% annual emissions cuts.

Among these big ticket items in the move towards carbon neutrality is the Government commitment to ending the issue of new licences for the exploration and extraction of gas and its promise to withdraw the Shannon LNG gas import terminal from the EU Projects of Common Interest list. The Government also plans to consider the implementation of a carbon price floor in the ETS to support the transition from fossil fuels to renewables

The Programme promises a revolution in renewable energy with a “major drive to realise the immense potential of Ireland’s

“This is by far the strongest programme for Government on climate action we have ever seen.

offshore renewables” and the interconnection of the Irish electricity system with other countries (especially by completing the Celtic Interconnector between Ireland and France). This should provide significant project financing opportunities.

The coalition wants renewables to deliver at least 70% of electricity by 2030, with plans to add 5GW of offshore wind capacity in the next 10 years and develop floating wind turbines in Ireland’s deeper Atlantic waters.

The deal promises the delivery of a “National Aggregated Model of Retrofitting” reaching over 500,000 homes by 2030. The homes will be retrofitted to a B2 energy rating under the scheme which will commence in the midlands and households will be given the option to repay retrofitting costs through their utility bills.

The Government has committed to leveraging smart finance of the programme via loan guarantees, the European Investment Bank and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland. The plan seeks to grow the existing retrofit industry tenfold while lowering cost and improving efficiency and productivity. A National Retrofitting Delivery Body will be designated by the end of 2020, with pilot schemes commencing in 2021.

The Government also plans to commence a targeted programme to install heat pumps in homes as part of an overall plan to install 600,000 heat pumps by 2030.

There is a particular focus on the de-carbonisation of cars and light goods vehicles. The Government plans to legislate to ban the registration of new fossil-fueled cars and light vehicles and phase out diesel and petrol cars from cities from 2030. It pledges to accelerate electrification of the transport system including electric bikes, electric vehicles and electric public transport and it will publish an electric vehicle strategy to ensure charging infrastructure stays ahead of demand.

The programme promises a strategy for remote working and remote service delivery as well as an unprecedented modal shift in all areas by a re-orientation of investment to walking, cycling and public transport.

In addition, the parties have agreed on a new strategy to expand afforestation and plan to “transform organic farming with delivery of a fair price for farmers at its heart.”

There will also be a public sector de-carbonisation target of at least 50 per cent as well as a commitment to phasing out the use of singe use plastics and introduce a deposit and return scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium cans.

“It’s action stations time” to avoid a climate catastrophe, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan told parliament.

Response to the Government’s promises have been mixed but many commentators have praised the extent of its ambition noting that before the coronavirus pandemic, the fastest rate of national emissions reduction achieved by an advanced economy was about 3% per year which has been achieved in the UK over the past decade, and in France from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s,

MISSION: A GREEN NEW DEAL

Emissions: reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 7% per annum from 2021 to 2030 (a 51% reduction over the decade) and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This ambition is in line with Ireland and the EU’s aims under the international “Paris Agreement” on climate change.

Renewable Energy: the Programme promises a revolution in renewable energy and a major drive to realise the immense potential of Ireland’s offshore renewables”. The Climate Action Plan goal of delivering at least 70% renewable electricity by 2030 is restated, alongside the commitment to hold the first Renewable Energy Support Scheme (“RESS”) auction by the end of 2020 and every year thereafter (including a RESS auction for offshore wind in 2021).

Offshore Wind: The Programme for Government provides for a long-term plan to exploit a potential of at least 30GW of offshore floating wind power on the Atlantic Coast and to position Ireland as a major contributor to pan-European renewable energy generation and transmission. The plan includes a path to achieving 5GW in offshore wind off the Eastern and Southern coasts by 2030, an increase from 3.5GW in the Climate Action Plan

Energy Efficiency: over 500,000 homes are to be retrofitted by 2030, partially subsidised by the new Climate Action Fund, and partially funded in a customer-friendly manner partnering with suitable finance-providers (An Post and Credit Unions are specifically mentioned). The Programme also contemplates a loan guarantee scheme to support access to finance for retrofitting.

Transport: The transport sector is to be overhauled with the sale of new petrol and diesel cars prohibited from 2030, a transition to electric power for all vehicles, and the re-focusing of State spending on infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport (rather than private cars).

Natural Gas: Ramp up the development of renewable energy sources, no new licences for the exploration and extraction of natural gas are to be granted (this follows a similar ban on new oil exploration licensing in 2019).

Carbon Tax: Will increase by €7.50 per annum to 2029 and €6.50 in 2030, raising the carbon tax to €100 per tonne. It is proposed that a Climate Action Fund is established using the additional carbon tax revenue of an estimated €9.5 billion over the next ten years. This will provide funding for social welfare to prevent fuel poverty, a national retrofitting programme, and a REPS-2 programme to encourage and incentivise green and sustainable farming.

Public Sector Energy Performance: Public bodies will be subject to a de-carbonisation target of at least 50%.

UCD College of Social Sciences and Law

Master of Public Policy

(One Year Full Time or Two Years Part Time)

Who is the Master of Public Policy for?

This programme attracts professionals and practitioners in public, private and non-profit sectors who want to develop skills in policy analysis, policy research and policy implementation and evaluation.

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You will develop an understanding of the political, ethical, social and economic factors which influence policy-making along with the challenges associated with effective policy implementation and regulation. You will also learn to systematically analyse public policies, and acquire skills in policy research and evaluation. In addition, you will have the opportunity to examine a number of policy fields in depth.

Eight Streams to Choose from:

» Citizenship and Rights

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Further information:

e mpp@ucd.ie

t 01 716 8299

w: www.ucd.ie/socscilaw/publicpolicy

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The Master of Public Policy programme is offering one full time (EU fee waiver) scholarship and one part time (EU fee waiver) scholarship to female candidates. In order to be eligible to apply for this scholarship, applicants must have submitted an application to UCD and have being offered a place on the programme. Applications for the scholarship will be competitively assessed.

Closing date for applicants for September 2020 entry is 30th June 2020. All enquires in relation to the scholarship to be made to mpp@ucd.ie

when dozens of nuclear power plants came on line.

Oisín Coghlan, director of Friends of the Earth Ireland, said: “This is by far the strongest programme for Government on climate action we have ever seen.

“Is it perfect? No. Is it everything we need to do? No. But it can put Ireland on the path to implementing the Paris Agreement and shed our climate laggard label. And in some areas Ireland would become a genuine world leader. The commitment to an average 7pc annual reduction in polluting emissions is a huge step forward.”

“The Programme of the new Government is the strongest we have ever seen on climate action. But it only gets Ireland to the starting line in the race to contain climate breakdown. Our emissions were the same in 2019 as they were in 2009,” he added.

“The focus is now on delivery of the commitments in the Programme for Government, and especially a new stronger climate law within the first 100 days. A climate law that will see the Dáil adopting two 5-year carbon budgets making the pledge to cut emissions in half by 2030 legally binding.

The coalition wants renewables to deliver at least 70% of electricity by 2030, with plans to add 5GW of offshore wind capacity in the next 10 years and develop floating wind turbines in Ireland’s deeper Atlantic waters.

“Only a strong climate law will ensure all departments across government and all governments across time take climate change seriously and take action consistently to cut emissions. Friends of the Earth will continue to engage with TDs of all parties and none to progress legislation and policies that deliver a just transition to a zero-carbon future.

“Even cutting our emissions in half in 10 years does not amount to Ireland doing its fair share to contain climate breakdown. This Programme for Government is only a down-

payment. There is more to do,” he said.

The newly published Programme has also been welcomed by An Taisce as a significant breakthrough on climate and environmental action which delivers on the need to place climate action at the heart of the incoming Government.

“This, after almost a decade of neglect and drift, is hugely significant,” An Taisce said. It puts in place the building blocks for Ireland to rapidly transition to a lowcarbon economy and sets out a pathway to at last fulfill our binding obligations under the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

However, it also voices concern that the programme does not commit to meet this target over the lifetime of the 33rd Dáil, suggesting instead that steps be put in place which will ‘lead to reductions in the second carbon budget (2026-2030) period’. “The 32nd Dáil unanimously declared a climate emergency, it would seem there is still resistance to acting as if we grasp the meaning of the term ‘emergency’,” it said.

While welcoming the commitment to 7% annual emissions cuts this decade, An Taisce is concerned that the deliberate vagueness of the terminology could see this incoming Government’s resolve eroded, as special interest lobbies seek to water down its provisions and stymie its impacts. This programme itself does not commit to any specific emissions cuts target during its lifetime (2021-2025).

Arguably the weakest part of the programme relates to agriculture and food, according to An Taisce which points out that agriculture currently contributes over one third of Ireland’s total emissions, yet there is no clear pathway set out to show how the agri-food sector will reduce, in absolute terms, its

Grand Ambition: No advanced economy has achieved the annual reduction in CO² emissions which the Irish Government is now targeting. The fastest rate of national emissions reduction achieved to date is around 3% per year.

The Government also plans to commence a targeted programme to install heat pumps in homes as part of an overall plan to install 600,000 heat pumps by 2030

emissions in any meaningful way.

The briefings offered by groups like Stop Climate Chaos, in advance of publication of this Programme, were clearly not taken into account despite clear messaging and the scientific basis underpinning the guidance,” An Taisce said. “We welcome the distinction of natural biogenic emissions as set out by the IPCC in the programme, but this distinction will do nothing in terms of our need to reduce all GHG emissions quickly. It would seem that some oft-stated myths permeated the development of this segment of the programme.”

Stop Climate Chaos spokesperson Sadhbh O’Neill also gave a guarded welcome to the programme but says that it is essential that the proposed climate change amendment bill is progressed through the Oireachtas as quickly as possible so that the carbon budgets for 2021-2025 and 2026-2030, to be devised by a strengthened Climate Change Advisory Council, are adopted together before the end of 2020.

“If this is not carried out as a matter of urgency, precious time will be wasted, and opportunities for emissions reduction will be missed,” she said. “Setting targets that are in line with science means there is absolutely no time to waste. The incoming Government must begin to act on these commitments immediately in time for Budget 2021 in the Autumn.”

“The measures in the transport, retrofitting and energy sections are both radical and yet the bare minimum that we will need to do to get Ireland back on track towards a more sustainable, de-carbonised future. There is no scope for slippage, delays, or lobbying by vested interests to slow down implementation.”

“The measures in the transport, retrofitting and energy sections are both radical and yet the bare minimum that we will need to do to get Ireland back on track towards a more sustainable, de-carbonised future.”

“Only concrete actions, backed up by legally binding commitments, resources and enforcement will make a difference. This Programme won’t address emissions unless the next Cabinet makes the bold decisions to protect our carbon stocks and biodiversity, and to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels across all sectors of our economy.”

“We are really delighted with the measures for sustainable transport. The 2:1 ratio towards active and public transport; new public transport infrastructure and a €360m commitment to active travel (walking and cycling) will transform our roads and streets into zero carbon and people-friendly spaces.”

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Sustainability in AIB

AIB is a financial services group operating predominantly in Ireland and the United Kingdom providing a range of services to retail, business and corporate customers, with market-leading positions in key segments.

Together with their c. 2.8m customers and 9,520 employees, AIB are inextricably linked to the societies in which they operate. “We are committed to backing sustainable communities and making a positive contribution to society,” explains Paddy McDonnell, Head of Media Relations, AIB. “With scale, comes challenge and opportunity to ensure we make a positive contribution to the marketplace, creating long-term value for our customers, colleagues and the communities where we live and work.”

As a bank, AIB has three core functions which are fundamental to modern-day life: to convert deposits and savings into financing for customers; to manage this credit process and the risks associated with it and to facilitate day-to-day payments safely and efficiently. By doing these tasks well, AIB will make a meaningful contribution addressing many of the current and emerging issues in society including funding home creation, supporting jobs and enterprise and enhancing overall access to finance and financial inclusion.

McDonnell says that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and the role of finance to support the transition to a low-carbon economy cannot be understated or underestimated. “While this issue requires a long-term outlook, action is required now, which is why AIB has placed this issue at the heart of its strategy, pledging to do more in addressing the climate change agenda while challenging themselves to deliver meaningful social and economic value to customers, employees and communities,” he says.

AIB has been increasingly visible in demonstrating the role they can and will play in addressing the issue of climate change in Ireland. “It is THE existential issue of our time,” McDonnell adds, “and we know that we must do all we can to respond and

adapt our lives around the necessary changes.”

To this end, in 2019 AIB announced a €5bn Climate Action Fund, a Green Bond Framework and support for Ireland’s second Climate Finance Week, the theme of which was Innovation & Collaboration. They also achieved the Business in the Community – Business Working Responsibly Mark, retained their leadership status on the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Climate List and they were named Green Large Organisation of the Year at the Green Awards. “We were also the only Irish bank to become a Founding Signatory of the UNEP FI Principles for Responsible Banking and AIB was also the first Irish bank to become a Supporter of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD),” McDonnell enthuses. “These are commitments that represent the seriousness of the challenge, and the ambition we have to lead the market in Ireland’s response to this issue.

“By doing these tasks well, we will make a meaningful contribution addressing many of the current and emerging issues in society including funding home creation, supporting jobs and enterprise and enhancing overall access to finance and financial inclusion.”

Commenting on the 2020 COVID-19 crisis McDonnell acknowledges that the pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges: “Our focus is to support our customers and the Irish economy. We are deeply embedded in communities across Ireland and have kept our 200 branches open. We have pledged €2.4m to the Trinity College Dublin COVID-19 Research Hub, and through our AIB Together fund we will double all funds raised by our staff for charities.

“Central to everything we do, we will continue to be guided by our purpose: To back our customers to achieve their dreams and ambitions.”

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Green Investment

Actions needed for sustainable recovery - green investment is key

Urgent environmental sustainability measures and investments to reduce carbon emissions and protect biodiversity can act as catalysts for Ireland’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Dr Jeanne Moore who recently authored a for the National Economic and Social Council which sets out key policy actions required to support a sustainable recovery from Covid-19.

The report outlined a number of strategies for “building-in sustainability” that incorporate resilience to future disruption, including green investment, well-being frameworks, and a just transition approach. The paper also highlights the opportunity which exists to adopt a different approach at both EU and national levels:

Measures geared towards climate and habitat sustainability have the capacity to reduce emissions and protect biodiversity, but they also serve a wider societal purpose, according to paper author Dr. Jeanne Moore.

These actions can be “catalysts for recovery” and can also serve as “a means of re-imagining our economy and society, and crucially the relationship between them and our natural environment”, Dr. Moore said.

The paper observes that the pandemic has demonstrated an “openness to change and willingness to consider doing things differently” and that the opportunity is ripe to “maximise the long-term benefits” of this response to enhance not only planetary health, but to create a sustainable model for the environment, society and the economy.

“A key question is how much this openness will materialise as a meaningful shift in policies and practices or will there be a return to business as usual,” says Dr Moore.

Acknowledging the “ambitious climate plans and a significant shift towards active mobility and sustainable transport” which features in the programme for Government, the report says the EU is also demonstrating its commitment to delivering a sustainable recovery.

“Positive signals are coming from the EU in relation to the Green Deal and a sustainable recovery and represents a fresh push to deliver a sustainable and inclusive future.”

While setting the direction of travel towards green and sustainable is positive, the paper notes “delivering sustainability will require more than navigation and ambition but will necessitate concrete innovative and collaborative action on multiple fronts including governance, finance, business and technological innovation and a just transition”.

The paper recommends the adoption of measures to ensure “green investment and conditionality” which it says can be achieved “by attaching conditions to rescue and other measures that provide developmental outcomes for the public good”.

It also supports the addition of indicators such as sustainability and well-being to traditional economic indicators and says that the adoption of planetary and societal boundaries

and a circular bioeconomy, would benefit policy-making. Such blueprints would have the capacity to balance “economic, social and environmental priorities”, it says.

From a financial perspective, the government should also explore attaching “developmental outcomes for the public good” to rescue measures. NESC cites an University of Oxford study to support its claim, which notes that a “climatefriendly recovery” is unlikely to be implemented unless it also “addresses existing societal and political concerns”, including poverty alleviation, inequality and social inclusion.

The study reinforces the need to build better resilience in cities and communities to better withstand massive disruptions.

A ‘Just Transition’ approach - “one that is fair, participative, and place-based both in process and in outcome”, is even more important in the post-pandemic recovery due to economic and social impacts and social dialogue will be key in this approach, according to the NESC report.

Despite progress in addressing some UN sustainable development goals (SDGs), progress in environmental sustainability has been slow in Ireland, the paper says. “Our record on responding to the climate and biodiversity emergencies and sustainable development goals has been poor overall.”

The reports highlight Ireland’s low ranking on SDGs such as affordable and clean energy; responsible consumption and production, climate action and water.

The Programme for Government acknowledges the scale of the challenge ahead and stressed that “there will be a variety of different transitions” as to date, “no simple one-size fits all approach” currently exists.

In Ireland and in the EU it will require “both an openness to change and a heightened focus on building resilience”. Governments will need to monitor and assess sustainability risks, for example, deepening the work already carried out for the national risk assessment. “How this analysis is then used by the policy system should also be carefully considered,” it says.

Amsterdam is already adopting this “doughnut model” of recovery, NESC notes, in order to ensure the Dutch capital does not overshoot planetary boundaries.

Climate Case Ireland

Historic Supreme Court judgement delivers a big win for the environment in ‘Climate Case Ireland’

In June 2020, Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) took the Irish Government to the Supreme Court for failing to take adequate action on climate change. The historic legal challenge known as ‘Climate Case Ireland’ was vindicated when the Supreme Court ruled that the 2017 National Mitigation Plan, a main plank of the Irish Government’s climate change policy is inadequate.

The application for judicial review of the 2017 National Mitigation Plan was launched in October 2017 and challenged the State’s decision to adopt a plan that will lead to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increasing by about 10% over the period 1990-2020 - when the government has itself agreed that a reduction in emissions of 25-40% over this period would be needed to help avert dangerous climate change.

In September 2019, the High Court ruled against FIE and

determined that the government must be afforded broad discretion in adopting Plans under the Climate Act FIE appealed the case to the Court of Appeal and simultaneously to the Supreme Court in November 2019.

In February 2020, the Supreme Court determined that exceptional circumstances warranted the case being fasttracked due to the critical public and legal issues which it raised and noted that there was no dispute between FIE and the government as to climate science or the gravity of the likely effects of climate change.

The case was heard in the Supreme Court by an exceptional seven Supreme Court Judges – the composition reserved exceptionally for cases of particular importance or complexity. The remarkably quick turnaround by the Supreme Court in

Ireland currently has one of the highest levels of greenhouse gas emissions per capita in Europe and, contrary to longstanding recommendations of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Ireland’s emissions have been rising rather than falling..

issuing its judgment just one month later reflects the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for the Irish Government to respond in a timely manner.

In a unanimous decision, the seven judges ruled that the plan lacked the detail and specifics needed to guide the country towards the kind of dramatic reduction in carbon emissions needed to avoid the worst impacts of global warming and climate breakdown. In particular, it failed to specify the manner in which it is proposed to achieve the ‘national transition objective’, as required by the Climate Act 2015.

It also found the plan does not comply with Ireland’s obligations under the Climate Action and Low Carbon

Development Act 2015 to give sufficient detail about achieving the national transition objective of a low carbon economy by the end of 2050.

While the National Mitigation Plan which was devised to comply with the 2015 Climate Act has been largely overtaken by the 2019 Climate Action Plan, it remains the only statutory and therefore legally binding instrument in the state’s armoury against climate change. It was roundly criticised by climate activists as vague and lacking in ambition while the State’s own Climate Change Advisory Council stated that Ireland is “completely off course,” in terms of achieving its 2020 and 2030 EU emission reductions targets and that Ireland’s emissions are “disturbing”.

Oisin Coghlan, Director, Friends of the Earth Ireland

“We shouldn’t have had to resort to legal action to make the Government fulfil its own promises. It shouldn’t have come to this,” he said. The era of unfulfilled promises on climate action must end today.”

Oisin Coghlan, Director, Friends of the Earth Ireland

Chairman of the court, Chief Justice Frank Clarke, said the Government is obliged to give “some realistic level of detail” about how it intended to meet the objective and the plan “falls a long way short” of the sort of specificity the 2015 Act requires.

Justice Clarke added that he did not consider any reasonable and interested observer would know, in any sufficient detail, how it really is intended, under current Government policy, to achieve the objective by 2050 on the basis of the information in the plan.

The State had argued that for the courts to quash the plan would amount to undue interference by the judiciary in the policy and workings of government. However, Chief Justice Clarke ruled that “policy had become law” when the 2015 Climate Act was enacted. The plan does not comply with the requirements of the 2015 Act, in particular section 4, and should be quashed, he ruled.

Climate Case Ireland is the first case of its kind in Ireland and only the second case in the world in which the highest national court of law has required a Government to revise its national climate policy in light of its legal obligations.

The Irish Government is now obliged create a new, more ambitious National Mitigation Plan that complies with Ireland’s national and international climate obligations

Ireland currently has one of the highest levels of greenhouse gas emissions per capita in Europe and, contrary to longstanding

recommendations of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Ireland’s emissions have been rising rather than falling. The Environmental Protection Agency projects that Ireland’s emissions will increase significantly over the period 1990 to 2020, when the Government has repeatedly endorsed the IPCC’s advice that emissions need to fall rapidly and deeply over this period to help avert dangerous climate breakdown.

Climate Case Ireland garnered worldwide attention and FIE’s victory has significant international, as well as domestic repercussions. Dr. David R. Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, welcomed the judgement and said: “This landmark decision recognizes the urgency of responding to the climate emergency and sets a precedent for courts around the world to follow.”

Environmental activists across Ireland were also out in force to celebrate the landmark ruling. Clodagh Daly, spokesperson for Climate Case Ireland expressed gratitude to supporters and said the focus must now be on creating a new National Mitigation Plan which guarantees the rapid and dramatic reduction of Ireland’s emissions. “Ireland contributes disproportionately to the climate crisis, but we have the means to lead the (dangerously overdue) transition to a low-carbon economy and society. It is technologically and economically feasible for us to achieve this – and the Supreme Court has now affirmed that there is no legal basis for a lack of political will.

The government needs to step up,” she said.

Oisin Coghlan, Director, Friends of the Earth Ireland said that Irish citizens shouldn’t have had to go to court in order to ensure the government is fulfilling its environmental commitments and protecting citizens from the impact of climate change. “We shouldn’t have had to resort to legal action to make the Government fulfil its own promises. It shouldn’t have come to this,” he said. The era of unfulfilled promises on climate action must end today. Mechanisms to ensure rapid emission reductions in the short term must be introduced now. A stronger climate law within the Government’s first 100 days - with ambitious 5-year carbon budgets - is essential.

“We all owe a great debt of gratitude to Friends of the Irish Environment who took the case to test the strength of the Climate Action Act 2015 to hold the Government of Ireland to account for their failure of climate policy and political leadership. As a result, the Government’s last excuse for dithering and delay is gone. It’s time for action.”

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Clean Energy Roadmap

The Single Energy Market (SEM) Committee’s roadmap to clean energy package implementation

Matheson, one of Ireland’s leading law firms has been advising EirGrid plc and SONI Limited on all aspects of the integrated Single Electricity Market project, the largest energy regulatory project in Ireland in the past decade.

Single Energy Market (“SEM”) Committee, the all-island decision-making authority for all SEM matters, published its Roadmap to Clean Energy Package (“CEP”) Implementation Information Paper (the “Paper”) on 16 December 2019.

The CEP contains eight European legislative acts, including the regulation on the internal market for electricity EU 2019/943 (recast) (the “Regulation”) which seeks to establish a modern design for the EU electricity market. The SEM Committee has identified six key areas of the Regulation that will likely require action by the SEM Committee over 2020 in order to allow for the SEM to conform with the Regulation. These are:

Balance responsibility (Article 5):

Currently in the SEM, there is a minimum capacity for balance responsibility of 10MW. However, under the Regulation, all market participants shall be responsible for any imbalances they cause in the market or shall delegate their responsibility to a balance responsible party of their choice. Derogations may be provided to generators that meet certain conditions.

Priority dispatch (Article 12):

Under the Regulation, new renewable generators with contracts concluded after 4 July 2019 will no longer be subject to priority dispatch, with the exception of:

- renewable energy generating facilities with an installed capacity of under 400KW (200KW from 2026); and / or - generators, energy storage facilities and other demand-side response units that demonstrate innovative technologies, subject to approval from the relevant Regulatory Authority.

As such, the current dispatch order for the SEM will need to be updated.

Redispatch (Article 13):

The Regulation requires compensation for non-market-based re-dispatching (constraints and curtailment) of firm generation, energy storage and demand response facilities. A previous SEM Committee decision in 2013, which removed compensation for curtailment, will need to be re-visited.

Market parameters (Articles 7, 8, 10, 11, 23 and 27):

The Regulation requires that the calculation methodology for certain market parameters be updated, including the Value of

Lost Load (VoLL) and resource adequacy for the capacity market. The Regulation also requires the harmonisation of the imbalance settlement period to 15 minutes by 1 January 2021 (currently 30 minutes in the SEM) to enable real time trading, subject to the grant of derogations until 31 December 2024 for certain systems for technical reasons. It is expected that the SEM TSOs will request a derogation.

Capacity remuneration mechanisms (Articles 20, 22, 26 and 27):

The Regulation prohibits capacity payments to certain generation facilities emitting above a certain level of CO² (this new requirement is expected to have an impact on the T-4 capacity auction). The Regulation also requires cross-border participation in capacity mechanism, subject to certain conditions.

Regional coordination centres (Articles 35 and 36):

The Regulation requires the development of Regional Coordination Centres, which shall complement the role of transmission system operators in prescribed geographic regions.

For further details contact Matheson (Dublin): 70 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Tel: +353 1 232 2000 Email: dublin@matheson.com or log onto: www.matheson.com

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Established in 1825 in Dublin and with offices in Cork, London, New York, Palo Alto and San Francisco, more than 740 people work across Matheson’s six offices, including 96 partners and tax principals and over 515 legal, tax and digital service professionals. Matheson services the legal needs of internationally focussed companies and financial institutions doing business in and from Ireland. The company’s clients include over half of the world’s largest banks, 7 of the world’s 10 largest asset managers, 7 of the top 10 global technology brands and it has advised the majority of the Fortune 100 companies.

Champions of the Earth

A world leader in sustainability, Costa Rica has drafted a detailed plan to decarbonize its economy by 2050 and last year, the Central American country won the 2019 Champions of the Earth award, the UN’s highest environmental honour.

Over recent decades, Costa Rica has established a stellar reputation as a global green pioneer with a strong social conscience and now the Central American nation is preparing to cross the ultimate environmental frontier with a detailed plan to decarbonize its economy by 2050.

Many countries have committed to doing likewise and reducing emissions is a key commitment of signatories to the Paris Climate Agreement. However, Costa Rica is one of the first to turn pledges into solid policies and to frame the shift in terms of economic and social benefit.

The National Decarbonization Plan, with bold mid- and longterm targets to reform transport, energy, waste, and land use, was launched in February of 2019. The aim is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, meaning the country will produce no more emissions than it can offset through actions such as maintaining and expanding its forests.

Costa Rica’s government says it is going to decarbonize the economy because it makes economic and social sense, a statement that challenges the oft-quoted trope that fighting climate change will cost jobs and stifle development. Costa Rica’s message is that

sustainability and growth can—and must—go hand-in-hand.

“Costa Rica has a long history of achievements, not only in terms of the environment but also in other fields,” said President Carlos Alvarado Quesada. “Our wish is to set an example to inspire people of Costa Rica and the world to take their individual part in reducing carbon emissions to help save our planet.

“Seventy years ago, Costa Rica abolished the military and opted to be a country of peace and, for many years now, the country also has free, mandatory public education for children. And about 50 years ago, the country began to push a series of innovative environmental policies because the paradigm of sustainable development is very much in the DNA of Costa Ricans,” he said.

“The decarbonization plan consists of maintaining an upward curve in terms of economic growth and at the same time generating a downward curve in the use of fossil fuels, in order to stop polluting,” said President Carlos Alvarado Quesada

“How are we going to achieve that? Through the electrification of transport, smart and resilient cities, sound waste management, sustainable agriculture and improved logistics,” he said.

Costa Rica’s environmental credentials are impressive: more than 98 per cent of its energy is renewable, forest cover now stands at more than 53 per cent after painstaking work to reverse decades of deforestation and around a quarter of the country’s land has been turned into protected parks and reserves.

In 2017, Costa Rica achieved another first — and set a world record — for the most consecutive days of running the national electricity grid with only renewable energy: 300 days in a row. Around 70% of all buses and taxis are also expected to be electric by 2030, with full electrification expected by 2050.

Costa Rica rejected cheap coal in the 1970s and instead turned to hydropower, which now supplies much of its clean energy and allows it to power its country emissions-free for long stretches. As the price of wind and solar technologies fall globally, it is investing furtherin these wind power, geothermal power, and hydroelectric plants in order to maintain a clean and reliable national grid.

It is also Investing in methods to reduce agrochemicals and adapt methods of organic farming.

In recognition of its commitment to ambitious policies to combat climate change and protect the planet’s natural resources, Costa Rica was awarded the United Nations Environment Programme’s Champions of the Earth award for policy leadership this yea.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said it chose the Central American country for its role in the protection of nature and its commitment to ambitious policies to combat climate change.

“Costa Rica has been a pioneer in the protection of peace and nature and sets an example for the region and for the world,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.

“Climate change demands urgent and transformative action from all of us. With its ambitious plans to decarbonise the economy, Costa Rica is rising to that challenge. Global emissions are reaching record levels and we must act now to move to cleaner, more resilient economies.”

“Costa Rica’s success in placing environmental concerns at the heart of its political and economic policies is evidence that sustainability is both achievable and economically viable.”

“Costa Rica has been a pioneer in the protection of peace and nature and sets an example for the region and for the world.” - Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme

President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado Quesada

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme

EU Approves RESS

Commission approves support for production of electricity from renewable sources in Ireland

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a scheme to support electricity production from renewable sources in Ireland. The measure will contribute to the EU environmental objectives without unduly distorting competition.

Ireland plans to introduce a new aid measure, called the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (“RESS”), to support electricity production from renewable sources, including solar photovoltaic and wind. The RESS will contribute to the EU renewable energy target and will help Ireland reach its national target to transition away from fossil fuels and reach a share of 70% of renewables in its electricity mix by 2030.

The RESS, with an estimated total budget of between €7.2

bn and €12.5 bn, will run until 2025 and during this period, aid for the production of electricity from renewable sources granted under the RESS will be allocated through auctions. All eligible technologies will compete for subsidies in these auctions, which should ensure the cost-effective achievement of renewable electricity targets by encouraging competition. However, Ireland has justified preferential treatment for a small quantity of energy from solar, as well as from offshore wind on the basis of the longer term potential of these technologies for the country.

Successful applicants of the RESS receive support over 15 years in the form of a premium on top of the market price. The competitive auctions through which the aid is granted will set a

‘strike price’. When the market price is below this ‘strike price’, beneficiaries will be entitled to receive payments equal to the difference between the two prices. However, when the market price is above the ‘strike price‘, beneficiaries will have to make payments equal to the difference between the two prices. These payments will be returned to Irish consumers in the form of reduced electricity bills.

To help build public acceptance and support for Ireland’s ambitious renewable energy targets, the RESS includes specific forms of support for projects developed by renewable energy communities and for communities that host projects supported by the RESS. Projects developed by renewable energy communities will benefit from grants and loans to support the development of their projects, and will participate to auctions in a special category in order to ensure that a certain number of these projects is successful.

The communities hosting projects supported by the RESS will benefit from a fund to which all RESS beneficiaries will contribute to and that will invest in certain technologies and ‘sustainable goals’ including education, energy efficiency, sustainable energy and climate action initiatives in the area surrounding the RESS projects.

Ireland has also developed a detailed plan for evaluating the RESS, including in particular a full analysis of the costs and benefits of the innovative measures supporting the renewable energy communities.

The Commission assessed the scheme under EU State aid rules, in particular under the 2014 Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy. The Commission found that the aid is necessary and has an incentive effect, as electricity prices do not fully cover the costs of generating electricity from renewable energy sources and only renewable technologies that need public support to be a viable investment will be eligible for support under the RESS. The aid is also proportionate and limited to the minimum necessary, as the amount of aid will be set through competitive auctions.

Therefore, the Commission concluded that the Irish RESS is in line with EU State aid rules, as it promotes the generation of electricity from renewable sources, in line with the European Green Deal, without unduly distorting competition.

European Commissioner for Trade Phil Hogan welcomed the decision by the European Commission to approve the scheme. “This is another significant contribution towards Ireland’s transition to a low carbon economy and is a statement of support

THE EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL

A new growth strategy, the Green Deal has an ambitious target of transforming the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy and zero net emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) by 2050.

Actions: The European Green Deal provides a roadmap with actions which will attempt to

n Boost the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean, circular economy

n Restore biodiversity and cut pollution.

It outlines investments needed and financing tools available, and explains how the EU plans to ensure a just and inclusive transition.

The EU is aiming to be climate neutral in 2050. To do this, the EU proposed a European Climate Law turning the political commitment into a legal obligation and a trigger for investment. The EU states that reaching this target will require action by all sectors of our economy, including:

n Investing in environmentally-friendly technologies

n Supporting industry to innovate

n Rolling out cleaner, cheaper and healthier forms of private and public transport

n Decarbonising the energy sector

n Ensuring buildings are more energy efficient

n Working with international partners to improve global environmental standards

The EU will also provide financial support and technical assistance to help people, businesses and regions that are most affected by the move towards the green economy. This is called the Just Transition Mechanism and will help mobilise at least €100 billion over the period 2021-2027 in the most affected regions.

from the European Commission for an initiative which is entirely consistent with the European Green Deal,” he said.

The European Green Deal is the EU’s roadmap for making the EU’s economy sustainable. The EU’s objectives are to turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities across all policy areas and making the transition just and inclusive for all member states.

Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy also welcomed approval for the scheme and said: “This Renewable Electricity Support Scheme will contribute to Ireland’s transition to a low carbon and environmentally sustainable economy, in line with the European Green Deal and our State aid rules.”

European Commissioner for Trade Phil Hogan

In Defence of the Planet

With increasingly threatening climatic conditions confronting the planet, dedicated climate activists are stepping up their efforts to raise awareness and persuade authorities to take the critical actions required to tackle the climate crisis. From 17-year-old Swedish Greta Thunberg to 94-old David Attenborough, we profile some of the environmental activities who have captured the world’s attention.

Greta was catapulted into the spotlight of climate activism last year when she opted to ditch school every Friday and stand outside the Swedish parliament holding a sign that translated as “school strike for climate.” Since then, she has accumulated over 8m social media followers and the ‘school strike for climate’ movement’ which she started has been joined by millions of students across the globe.

“We are children saying, ‘Why should we care about our future when no one else is doing that? And why should we bother to learn facts when facts don’t matter in this society?’ When children say something like that, I think adults feel very bad,” Thunberg told TIME Magazine.

In the summer of 2019, Greta sailed from the UK to New York City to increase awareness of climate change and global warming. “This is an existential crisis that is going to affect our whole civilization, the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced,” she said upon arriving in New York. “I’m not planning to stop this movement, and I don’t think anyone else is either.”

Greta continues to lead protests around the world and is credited with helping drive growth in carbon-reducing programs in developing countries. By the age of sixteen she had been nominated by the Norwegian parliament for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Since the 1950s, David Attenborough’s natural environment programmes with the BBC have brought the natural world into our living rooms. For decades he has been tirelessly dedicated to protecting the environment and he has inspired successive generations to become more environmentally aware and take better care of our planet.

After studying the natural sciences at the University of Cambridge, broadcaster David Attenborough began his career as a producer at the BBC, where he launched the successful Zoo Quest series. Attenborough was made controller of BBC Two in 1965 and later was named its director of programming. During his tenure, the station crossed over to color television, and Attenborough was instrumental in expanding its natural history content.

Attenborough left the BBC to begin writing and producing various series, including the smash hit Life on Earth, which set the standards for the modern nature documentary. Since then Attenborough has written, produced, hosted and narrated countless award-winning, nature-focused programs and has devoted his life to celebrating and preserving wildlife.

His extraordinary influence was apparent when he appeared on stage to tumultuous applause at Glastonbury last year at the age of 93 to talk about the environment, particularly the threats facing our oceans. He also praised the festival for becoming plastic free, claiming that this meant that more than a million plastic bottles of water were not used.

Greta Thunberg

David Attenborough

Leonardo DiCaprio

In 1998, at the age of 24, DiCaprio established the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation which is dedicated to the protection and wellbeing of the planet and raising awareness about environmental issues. So far the foundation has funded over 200 projects around the world and awarded $100million in grants.

DiCaprio and his Foundation have also produced a number of documentaries that communicate the urgency of climate change to the public, including The 11th Hour (2007) and Before the Flood (2016), which have been viewed by millions around the world. Before the Flood received 60 million views in just 3 months, making it one of the most watched documentaries in history.

In 2014 he addressed the United Nations to speak about the issue, and after (finally) winning his Oscar in 2016 for his performance in The Revenant, DiCaprio took the chance to highlight climate change during his acceptance speech.

“Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating,” he said. According to statistics, Google searches for climate change soared the day after the awards show.

Al Gore

As a young congressman in the 70s, Al Gore held the first hearings on man-made global warming in 1981 while in the Senate he held numerous hearings on the climate crisis and hosted an international conference to discuss his proposal for a Global Marshall Plan - ‘a unified global response to the worldwide environmental crisis’.

As Vice President, Gore encouraged the development of low-carbon technologies through the Climate Change Technology Initiative and the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles to replace the internal combustion engine. Shortly before becoming Bill Clinton’s vice-president in 1992, he wrote a bestselling book titled ‘Earth in The Balance’.

In an effort to improve environmental education globally and encourage action, Vice President Gore also established the GLOBE program, which continues to promote environmental awareness among children in schools across the country.

Following a failed bid for the US Presidency in 2000 Gore sparked a massive increase in awareness of global warning when he wrote and starred in the documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth” in 2006. The film, which chronicled the effects of climate change on the earth, cost only $1.5 million to make but brought in $49.8 million at the box office. Gore is also a Nobel Prize laureate, author and founder of Climate Reality.

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is a member of the Mbororo people in Chad, who face a dire situation: Lake Chad, a water source for 40 million people, has lost 90 percent of its surface area in just 40 years, sparking conflicts along its shoreline. Ibrahim began the first major dialogue among the area’s numerous cultures and communities. Together, they are creating a 3D map of the environmentally fragile region to inform conservation and resource management while promoting security.

Ibrahim’s work with indigenous communities at the local, regional and international levels gives a voice to the voiceless, inviting governments and the private sector to listen. Her advocacy for Indigenous communities and her commitment to integrating Indigenous knowledge with Western science to create a healthier planet has won her numerous honors including the Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award. She has also been appointed as a UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, a Conservation International Senior Indigenous Fellow and a National Geographic Explorer.

“We are children saying, ‘Why should we care about our future when no one else is doing that? And why should we bother to learn facts when facts don’t matter in this society?’ When children say something like that, I think adults feel very bad.”

Katharine Hayhoe

An Endowed Professor in Public Policy and Public Law in the Public Administration program of the Department of Political Science at Texas Tech University, Katharine Hayhoe also codirects the Climate Center at Texas Tech. She has a B.Sc. in physics and astronomy from the University of Toronto and an M.S. and Ph.D. in atmospheric science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and has been awarded honorary doctorates from Colgate University and from Victoria College at the University of Toronto.

Professor Hayhoe’s research focuses on developing and applying high-resolution climate projections to evaluate the future impacts of climate change on human society and the natural environment. She has published over 125 peer-reviewed abstracts and publications and served as lead author on key reports for the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the National Academy of Sciences, including the Second, Third and Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessments.

Her TED talk last year has received nearly 3 million views and she is currently writing a book on talking about climate change that will be released early next year. In Last year, Professor Hayhoe was named to Foreign Policy’s list of 100 Global Thinkers for the second time and received the United Nations Environment Programme’s flagship award, being named Champion of the Earth in the category of Science and Innovation.

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim

David Attenborough has written, produced, hosted and narrated countless award-winning, nature-focused programs and has devoted his life to celebrating and preserving wildlife.

Mary Robinson

The first female president of Ireland, and now the U.N.’s special envoy for Climate Change, Mary Robinson is one of Ireland’s best known diplomats. In 2010, Mary Robinson returned to live in Ireland and set up the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, a centre for “leadership, education and advocacy on the struggle to secure global justice for those people most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change”.

In February of last year, 29 year old Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest ever woman to serve in congress submitted the Green New Deal to the US House of Representatives where she called for a Net-Zero greenhouse gases goal within a decade and the modification of every building in the US to meet new standards of energy efficiency.

The new blueprint, co-introduced by Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey would require huge strides in reducing the US’s reliance on oil, gas and coal and does not set a date for ending the use of fossil fuels.

Specifically, the resolution says it is the duty of the federal government to craft a Green New Deal “to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions”. That includes getting all power from “clean, renewable and zero-emission energy sources”.

Cortez, U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district defeated Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley, a 10-term incumbent, in what was widely seen as the biggest upset victory in the 2018 midterm election primaries. She defeated Republican opponent Anthony Pappas in the November 6, 2018 general election.

Her influence is apparent from the five million Twitter followers who support

Ocasio-Cortez

Statkraft Renews its Vows

Statkraft Ireland Ltd is part of the Statkraft Group, Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy, including hydropower, wind power and solar power.

Since 2nd October 2018, there has been an extraordinary alignment of Ireland’s climate action intentions and the business targets of Europe’s largest producer of renewable energy, Statkraft. On this date, Statkraft entered the Irish market and since then, has developed what is arguably Ireland’s largest and most diverse portfolio of renewable energy including onshore wind energy, battery storage, solar energy, offshore wind energy and grid service solutions.

Statkraft is a Norwegian state-owned company, with operations in 17 countries and a global ambition to increase its portfolio of wind and solar power assets to a combined 8,000 MW by 2025. Statkraft’s entry into the Irish market has meant that an international player of considerable scale, experience and capacity to deliver had arrived. Having acquired a

development platform (Element Power Ireland) with a head office in Cork, Statkraft has developed the team’s capacity and doubled its workforce over the past 2 years to now stand at over 50 experienced professionals from the industry. Statkraft - who’s core business areas are centrally based on the transition to a low carbon society - is unambiguous and fully committed to its growth targets while recognising the pivotal role that global power sector decarbonisation will play, to this end.

Following the government’s publication of the Climate Action Plan in June 2019, Statkraft Ireland Managing Director & Head of AO, Kevin O’Donovan became even more determined that the company should be at the forefront of change. The Irish government had unequivocally spelt out its most ambitious plan yet to decarbonise and meet the climate change crisis head-

on, and Statkraft knew its decision to enter the Irish market was completely vindicated by being perfectly positioned to support the government’s plans and play a key role in meeting the “70 by 30” target, as it’s become known.

Immediately upon entering the market, Statkraft Ireland made a statement of intent by announcing that it was backing a €31.5million investment with the construction of the 23.1 MW Kilathmoy Wind Farm on the border between Limerick and Kerry. This project later developed to incorporate Ireland’s largest battery storage facility which boasts the fastest reaction time of any industrialscale battery currently in the world. The success at Kilathmoy had followed 50MW Coole Wind Farm being consented. Once completed, the project will have the capacity to provide pure renewable electricity for over 36,000 Irish homes.

Statkraft’s portfolio continued to grow as it received consent for a 12 turbine 48MW project in Offaly last February and continues to progress a number of onshore wind projects in the Irish midlands while developing an offshore project in the Irish Sea known as NISA (North Irish Sea Array).

The announcement in October that it had bought a 320MW portfolio of Irish solar assets brought its healthy and rapidly rising figures up to 1.25GW of onshore wind with 500MW of offshore wind in prospect, in Ireland alone. This demonstrates a serious commitment within 12 months of first entering the market here. July 2020 marks another exciting

Statkraft aims to promote a leading EV charging business in key growth markets in Europe. It has long experience with the industry through its majority shareholding in the Norwegian EV charging company,

Grønn Kontakt. An aspiration for the company this year is to bring its competence and experience to Ireland.

milestone for the Irish energy sector with the latest round of Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) auctions set to take place. While supporting the most cost-effective renewable energy projects, the RESS model also allows the market to take advantage of falling technology costs and by not auctioning all the required capacity at once, the government will not be ‘locking in’ higher costs for consumers for the entirety of the scheme. Statkraft has submitted a number of projects for pre-qualification, all of which it will finance alone and is enthusiastically anticipating the enhanced role that wind and solar can play in decarbonising the Grid by being afforded this route to market. The new RESS scheme has also incorporated mechanisms to ensure that local communities will benefit from the development of renewable energy which will allow Statkraft Ireland to further build on its extensive community engagement processes.

Given its global outlook and the increasing prevalence of interconnectors and the common international challenges of storing green energy, Statkraft is particularly enthused to see that the 500MW Greenlink project – originally launched by Element Power – which links the Irish Grid in Wexford with UK National Grid in Pembroke, Wales, is advancing to planning stage. Being cognisant of the need for trading platforms, decarbonising transport and heating as well as electricity generation, the Irish team has also been faced with the reality of looking at the bigger picture and in so doing, has added

numerous new strings to its bow.

Statkraft aims to promote a leading EV charging business in key growth markets in Europe. It has long experience with the industry through its majority shareholding in the Norwegian EV charging company, Grønn Kontakt. An aspiration for the company this year is to bring its competence and experience to Ireland.

As mentioned, battery storage forms a part of the Statkraft portfolio and in December last, the company announced that it had built its first battery project in Co Kerry. The hybrid batteryand-wind project, which combines 11MW of battery with 23MW of onshore wind is now fully operational.

The decision to develop this project without participating in market auctions was significant. The rationale was that energy storage systems or batteries further diversify the company’s portfolio and therefore complement its growth trajectory and extensive renewable development plans.

Statkraft believes that the growth of wind generation presents a range of operational challenges for power systems everywhere and its variability must be managed to ensure demand for electricity is met at all times. Other forms of renewable energy such as solar are also set to play a part in Ireland’s energy mix, meaning capacity to store electricity is of paramount importance.

Work carried out to date has ensured that the Irish electricity grid system is operating successfully with renewable energy levels of up to 65% at any given time, which proves that this country is not very far away from having a grid system that can be run almost exclusively on renewable energy. Statkraft has the vision, ambition and wherewithal required to see Ireland become a serious player on the European stage. It’s easy to forget that Ireland has the capacity to provide for its own

To date, the company has over 200MW of wind already contracted, and new wind and solar RESS PPAs in development.

energy needs without relying so heavily on imported energy and that more than 30% of our electricity already comes from renewables. The progress that has been made in the last 24 months alone has been remarkable.

With the aim of providing a whole systems approach, Statkraft is also growing independent market operations activities in Ireland, offering comprehensive route-to-market PPAs and hedging services for wind and battery assets. To date, the company has over 200MW of wind already contracted, and new wind and solar RESS PPAs in development. A new Battery Optimisation PPA, has been launched offering advanced optimisation and revenue guarantees for other developers in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with storage assets targeting DS3 services. Furthermore ‘Unity’ Statkraft’s trading platform, allows their customers’ intermittent renewable generation to be scheduled seamlessly into the market place across Europe.

With additional certainty around timelines for planning permission and grid connections Statkraft believes passionately that Ireland can deliver on its 2030 targets and intends to work with all stakeholders to make this vision a reality.

Lay of The Land

LAY OF THE LAND

Since 2012, Fiona O’Connell has been serving up a unique slice of Irish life to savour in her weekly column Lay of the Land for The Sunday Independent. With a core focus on rural Ireland, she writes with insight and lyrical wit on a wide range of thought-provoking topics that include conservation and animal rights, as well as history, folklore, biography and the natural world.

Poignant and provocative, humorous but sometimes haunting, progressive but passionately connected to our past, this charming collection invites you to fall in love with the best of the land.

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Wind Energy is Key

Wind power has a vital role to play in combatting climate change but vexatious objections have to be addressed and the judicial review process streamlined, writes Dr David Connolly, CEO of the Irish Wind Energy Association.

In October 2018, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change told us we had 12 years to keep global heating to a maximum of 1.5 Celsius. Beyond that, the lives of hundreds of millions of people will be vulnerable to drought, floods and extreme heat. Many will be forced to leave their homes as refugees.

Today, we have less than 11 years left and, though the last Dáil declared a climate and biodiversity emergency last May, it is still difficult to detect the sense of urgency to do whatever it takes to halve our emissions by 2030.

Proof of this came in the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent greenhouse gas-emissions report which showed that in 2018 our CO² emissions dropped by only 0.2 per cent.

Importantly, emissions would have risen were it not for the

contribution made by wind energy, which increased its share electricity generation by 14 per cent.

Wind did even better in 2019 and provided a third of Ireland’s electricity, cutting millions of tonnes of CO² emissions, increasing our energy security and driving down the wholesale price of electricity.

However, to keep up this momentum vexatious objections must be tackled, and the judicial review process streamlined.

The Climate Action Plan produced last June is a welcome beginning as Ireland steps up to play its part in the fight against climate change, but an emergency isn’t really an emergency until we start acting like it is and until we start finding solutions to some of the key questions we need to answer if we are to hit our 2030 targets.

Electricity Grid

To deliver, we must figure out how to get the growing pipeline of wind and solar projects through planning and connected to the electricity grid more quickly. How do we strengthen our transmission system to ensure the power produced by renewable energy gets to where it is needed? And how do we put in place the policies and systems that will let us finally exploit Ireland’s tremendous offshore wind energy resources?

Critical to answering these questions will be reforming a planning process that is cumbersome, contradictory and confused. We need one that is fair and transparent. Everyone affected by a project has the right to be heard and, if they feel their concerns have not been taken on board, to object. This right must be protected.

But we also need a planning system that deals with applications more quickly and that fast-tracks critical infrastructure like renewable energy projects and grid reinforcements.

This is not about giving anyone a blank cheque. Our members must continually improve how we engage with communities and ensure our planning applications are clear and well thought out. No developer can be allowed to ignore legitimate local concerns.

But nor, at the same time, can the development of renewable

energy be delayed or prevented by those who are opposed to action on climate change or by what is often called Ireland’s “objection culture”.

One of the key challenges for wind farm developers are the timelines for planning decisions to be made. An analysis of wind farm appeals decided by An Bord Pleanála between 2017 and mid-2019 found that, on average, appeals were under consideration for 66 weeks.

This is far in excess of the planning board’s 18-week target and three times the average period for all appeals decided by in 2018.

Simple Target

Instead of 18 weeks being a simple target, it must become a statutory decision period and the board must be given the resources to ensure it can deliver – just as it has met statutory decision periods for strategic housing developments.

We also need to ensure the board has the capacity to support the delivery of offshore wind energy. The Marine Planning and Development Management Bill, which will put in place a planning framework for offshore wind energy, needs to be a top priority for the new Dáil and brought through the legislative process as quickly as possible.

But passing legislation is only the first step. Once the Bill is in

Raheenleagh Wind Farm, developed by ESB and Coillte, in Wicklow. Shannon Images & Padraic O’Reilly

IWEA CEO Dr David Connolly.

place it will create new demands on our planning system to fairly and sensibly guide the development of offshore wind energy and on EirGrid, as our transmission system operator, to enhance our electricity grid to get the enormous amounts of renewable energy these offshore wind farms will generate to where it is needed.

We are already in danger of missing the targets set out in the Climate Action Plan that were designed to deliver 3.5 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030. There is absolutely no room for slippage, no margin for error. If we are serious about that 2030 target, we need to be hitting those targets ahead of time.

But, perhaps most important of all, the new Wind Energy Guidelines – which were out for public consultation earlier this year – must strike the proper balance between Ireland’s need to develop renewable electricity and the concerns some individuals and communities may have around wind-farm development.

The guidelines must be based on evidence. They must rest on a robust scientific analysis. They must draw on proven expertise –national and international – in noise assessments. The draft Wind Energy Guidelines fell well short of these benchmarks and this will need to be rectified so that onshore wind can continue to lead Ireland’s fight against climate change over the next decade.

Only by doing this can we develop a set of guidelines that will ensure the continued development of a thriving wind energy industry, progress in cutting our CO² emissions and ensuring the concerns of local communities are addressed.

Referring to the 2030 targets at the launch of their new strategy last September, EirGrid chief executive Mark Foley reminded the audience that the question of whether we would achieve the 2030 targets would be decided in the first half of this decade.

By then we will know what projects – wind, onshore and offshore, solar and storage – have managed to successful navigate their way through the labyrinth of the Irish planning system.

Any project not through planning by 2025 is unlikely to make much of a contribution to our 2030 targets and every project lost means more CO² emissions.

That is why the next two years are so crucial. It is now that our new Government – and all parties in the Oireachtas – needs to work together to reform our broken planning system.

We are living in a climate emergency. Let’s start acting like it.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent greenhouse gas-emissions report which showed that in 2018 our CO² emissions dropped by only 0.2 per cent. Importantly, emissions would have risen were it not for the contribution made by wind energy, which increased its share electricity generation by 14 per cent.

Enjoying a 5k run at an SSE wind farm in Limerick.

The Future is Wind

Irish Offshore Wind – the clouds are parting, writes John Dallas Partner, Energy, Infrastructure & Natural Resources A&L Goodbody

2019 was a significant year for the Irish offshore wind sector and this momentum has carried into 2020. Growing ‘developer led’ momentum was strongly reinforced by Government policy which has set the clear ambition to construct at least 3.5GW of offshore wind projects by 2030. Significant international investment in Irish Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) projects in 2019 and early 2020 points to growing investor confidence in the sector.

Key recent developments

n The Climate Action Plan (July 2019) underpins Government policy in relation to offshore wind with the ambition to see at least 3.5GW of offshore wind projects constructed by 2030.

n The latest revision of the Heads of Bill for Marine Planning and Development Management (MPDM) was published in January 2020, following approval by Government, and is another positive step towards a new holistic marine planning system.

n In January 2020, the Government published its Transitional Protocol for ‘Relevant Projects’. This largely captured projects with an existing foreshore lease or a substantially advanced lease application under the existing foreshore leasing regime. Under the protocol it is proposed that Relevant Projects will, under MPDM, be given a ‘Planning Interest’, a key ‘gating item’ under the new consenting regime. Therefore they are likely to be first in line to apply for the new form planning permission under that regime. This should offer those projects greater certainty now to facilitate ‘critical path’ environmental assessments, site investigations and surveys, pending the enactment of MPDM.

n The CRU recently issued a direction to EirGrid to process grid connection applications from ‘Relevant Projects’. To date the existing Enduring Connection Policy has effectively excluded offshore wind projects.

n Ireland’s new renewable electricity support scheme (RESS) is scheduled to commence in 2020. Government policy points towards an offshore wind specific auction in 2021,

assuming sufficient competition in the auction.

Looking ahead

John Dallas, Partner, Energy, Infrastructure & Natural Resources, A&L Goodbody

2020 is a key year to lay the platform for delivery of the existing offshore wind policy objective. Key deliverables include:

n Revised Marine Consenting System – With sufficient political impetus, this is deliverable in 2020. It is realistic to believe that this new regime could be ‘open for business’ in late 2020 or early 2021. Specialist additional resourcing in An Bord Pleanála will need to be prioritised to deal with applications.

n Offshore Grid Policy for enduring projects. Greater visibility on enduring grid connection policy for ORE projects will be important for enduring projects, i.e. non-Relevant Projects. Enduring connection policy for offshore wind projects continues to be progressed by relevant stakeholders with a number of options being considered, including a centralised and decentralised approach to grid delivery.

n First RESS auctions scheduled for mid-2020. Whilst no ORE projects are expected to participate in RESS 1, this will establish the price support scheme and route to market that will be critical to future ORE projects. It represents an important milestone for the sector given the stated objective of holding offshore specific RESS auctions in future.

Those interested in the Irish offshore wind sector can enter 2020 with justified optimism as policy actions take shape. The clouds are beginning to part for Irish offshore wind.

For further information, contact John Dallas, Partner, Energy, Infrastructure & Natural Resources, A&L Goodbody, Email: jdallas@ algoodbody.com

Winds of Change

As ever, times are changing for wind farm developers, write Gavin Blake, Partner and Head of Energy & Natural Resources and Neil Keenan, Partner and Head of Corporate, ByrneWallace.

As we enter a new decade and the ‘20’s dawn, one thing that hasn’t changed is that the average Irish wind farm developer continues to face a plethora of challenges that need to be overcome if new wind generation projects are to see the light of day.

In many ways, the one constant for the wind industry is in fact change. A large proportion of these challenges are domestic ones, albeit in some cases originating from Brussels, and therefore it was certainly of some comfort to see Britain’s orderly exit from the EU on 31 January of this year, underpinned by the commitments contained in the Withdrawal Agreement in respect of the maintenance of the Irish wholesale electricity market in its current form. Hopefully the said ‘orderly exit’ will remain on track over the coming months.

Wind farm developers undoubtedly have more than enough to get their teeth stuck into at present when one considers that key fundamentals such as: (i) the planning regime (ii) grid access and (iii) ‘route to market’ are all undergoing significant change in the form of, respectively: (i) new wind energy development guidelines (ii) on-going revisions to grid connection policy and (iii) a new support scheme for renewables (the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme). Between them, planning, grid access and route to market, are often referred to as being the ‘three legs of the stool’ that are required, in addition obviously to an underlying property interest, in order to deliver a fully commissioned wind farm project. It is therefore not an overstatement to say that we are currently in the midst of a critical time for the industry, with the final foundations being laid to (hopefully) facilitate the doubling of onshore wind to 8.2GW by 2030.

For offshore wind, much rests with progression of the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill 2019 (the “MPDM Bill”), and the entirely new consenting regime set out therein. That said, the early movers in the offshore wind space will have welcomed the Government announcement on 19 May, which categorised more than 3.5GW of legacy proposed offshore wind as ‘Relevant Projects’, meaning they are deemed to have already completed the first step of the planning process envisaged under the MPDM Bill.

In light of the above, it is unsurprising that other big issues such as commercial rates may at times be forgotten and sometimes jostle for position as headline items for the wind industry.

As energy lawyers with corporate law expertise, what we have seen over the past 12 months is a spike in M&A activity,

driven by the continued attractiveness for institutional investors of de-risked REFIT projects, and also by a desire on the part of some smaller developers to cash in their chips and perhaps step away from a market that is almost unrecognisable and far more dynamic and ‘hands on’ than was the case 10 - 15 years ago.

This swing from a focus on project finance transactions to M&A transactions has a touch of déjà vu to it. Having experienced it during previous ‘gaps’ between support regimes and/or grid processing rounds, it has tended to precede a significant counter-swing back to project finance.

If history repeats itself this time around, it will reflect that the wind industry has been successful in its concerted efforts at this critical juncture to create a playing field that is conducive to delivering the new wind generation envisaged under the Climate Action Plan. It would also reflect that, finally, a holistic and whole of Government approach has been adopted, whereby the various Departments facilitate Ireland hitting the ambitious renewables targets contained in the Plan.

Though it can be rousing to hear voices that declare that the industry shouldn’t look so much towards politicians and policy makers, we have our fingers firmly crossed that political change does not impact on the joined-up thinking and legal and regulatory certainty required for our renewable energy targets to be achieved.

For further information log onto www.byrnewallace.com or contact Gavin Blake, Partner and Head of Energy & Natural Resources Direct: +353 1 691 5293 Email: gblake@byrnewallace.com or Neil Keenan, Partner and Head of Corporate, Direct: +353 1 691 5287 Email: nkeenan@byrnewallace.com

Gavin Blake, ByrneWallace, Partner and Head of Energy & Natural Resources

Neil Keenan, ByrneWallace, Partner and Head of Corporate

Sustainable Finance

Sustainability in the Irish Financial Services

Sector - A shift from niche to business as usual, by Michael Flynn, Partner, Deloitte Ireland

Sustainability is the overarching theme of our time with increasing societal drivers, the need for climate change and improved technology bringing new solutions. Despite the increased focus, data published by the Social Progress Index shows that the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets are unlikely to be reached before 2073. Other data published in advance of the United Nations’ SDG summit in New York in September 2019 revealed that the progress towards achieving the 17 SDGs is too slow and threatens the chances of fulfilling the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development1.

Increasingly, sustainability has become a focus in companies, across a variety of sectors. Many of the corporate giants, from fashion to agriculture, have identified sustainability as a key priority for the future. This is particularly the case for the financial sector, where sustainable finance has been identified as not just a short-term trend, but rather a permanent shift from ‘niche’ to ‘mainstream’ or ‘business as usual’.

In 2019, Deloitte published a report entitled ‘Deep Sector Analysis of Future Sustainable Finance Skills and Talent Requirements in Ireland’, outlining the results of a survey which was conducted amongst a selection of organisations operating in the Irish Financial Services Sector. The report

defines Sustainable finance as any form of financial service integrating Environmental, Social or Governmental (‘ESG’) criteria into business or investment decisions. The purpose of Sustainable finance is to provide a lasting benefit for investors and for society at large and the new international consensus is that making profits is compatible with the sustainable growth of the world’s economies, an inclusive society and protection of our ecosystem.

The report found that Ireland’s financial services sector must strengthen its capacity for innovation and develop sustainable finance skillsets within organisations. 67% of respondents indicated that there is currently a demand for sustainable finance skills within their organisations, however supply is inadequate, and upskilling is required. The majority of survey respondents indicated that in order for sustainable finance to transition into everyday business, new hires need to have qualifications that have sustainable finance and ESG considerations embedded into their undergraduate degree or master’s courses. 3

The Report highlights that there are a number of key factors driving the shift towards incorporating sustainable finance principles into company strategy:

n Clients: Clients across all sector of the Irish economy are showing an increasing awareness of, and demand for, Sustainable Finance solutions.

n Commercial: Sustainable investment has been shown to provide enhanced returns. Ensuring portfolios are made up of sustainable assets is likely to become more important to avoid assets becoming ‘stranded’.

n Risk: Companies which take a pro-active approach towards managing risks related to ESG factors are better equipped to deal with investment risk and/or underwriting risk.

n Regulatory: It is expected that the EU Action Plan and its proposed reforms will greatly accelerate Sustainable finance regulation and disclosure requirements.

Sustainable finance is about a specialised skillset that blends existing finance skills with risk, data management and ESG competencies. As the need for sustainability initiatives in business is growing, companies need to incorporate actionable initiatives into day-to-day business operations. Going forward, companies need to put sustainability at the forefront of strategic decisions and talent acquisition, and sustainable finance needs to be incorporated into business curricula and into in-house training for all personnel.

Michael Flynn is a Financial Advisory Partner in Deloitte Ireland, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Lead for the EMEA Region, Global Public Sector Financial Advisory Lead and Energy Resources and Industrials Ireland Lead

Sustainable Finance is about a specialised skillset that blends existing finance skills with risk, data management and ESG competencies. As the need for sustainability initiatives in business is growing, companies need to incorporate actionable initiatives into day-to-day business operations.

Financing a Sustainable Future

Sustainable finance is the provision of finance to investments taking into account environmental, social and governance considerations. Keith Robinson, Partner at Dillon Eustace discusses sustainable finance and opportunities for Ireland in meeting its committed sustainability targets.

The financing of a sustainable economy is an issue that gained augmented international focus following the signing of the 2015 Paris Agreement. The Central Bank of Ireland has highlighted the importance of climate action by banks and other regulated entities, which is reflective of various European initiatives.

The importance of moving to a sustainable economy is increasingly more important as evidenced by various global climate-related events. Ireland’s transition to a more sustainable economy has been recently evidenced by the publication of the draft general scheme of the Climate Action (Amended) Bill 2019 (the “CAB”). In addition, the EU Disclosures Regulation and the Low-Carbon Benchmark Regulation came into effect in December 2019.

The financial markets offer an opportunity to assist investors and governments with the transition towards a low carbon economy. Issuances of green bonds in 2019 exceeded analyst’s projections with over $200bn in bonds issued last year, including a €2bn offering by Apple in November 2019. AIB has committed to providing €5bn in funding for green projects and its recently appointed CEO has made sustainability a key vision for AIB.

The proposed introduction of the CAB will assist with the creation of an environment to bolster the provision of finance to ensure we have an environmentally sustainable economy by the end of 2050. The provision of green finance in its various guises is critical in enabling Ireland to achieve and harness the benefits of a low carbon economy. These benefits arise from the creation of sustainable food production, employment and achieving energy security.

The current National Development Plan commits €39 billion of funding up to 2027 to assist with the realisation of a low carbon economy. Ireland has a legally binding target of deriving 16% of all energy used from renewable sources by 2020. To achieve these goals, there will have to be considerable investment in sustainability projects. The role of green finance in developing that area of our economy is key. The primary criteria for green bonds or green loans is that the underlying project being funded promotes the provision of low carbon, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable projects and/ or are used to finance or refinance eligible green projects which will include renewable energy, clean transportation, water sustainability and climate change action projects.

To ensure such projects meet the requirements of the relevant type of green finance, the funding documents will contain terms providing for the robust oversight by the lender

of the underlying project, including regular updates and monitoring on the use of the loan proceeds and the achievement of specified sustainability criteria.

The identification and financing of sustainable projects are key to enable Ireland to meet its committed sustainability targets and for the development of economically viable green projects that create a market for investors. In addition, sustainable financial services will likely expand to encompass the banking, capital markets, insurance and investment sectors in the EU, and particularly Ireland, to fully meet the imposed targets and the challenges of climate change. Such expansion creates an opportunity for Ireland to lead the way in delivering significant impact in critical areas such as a sustainable financial system.

Keith Robinson, Partner at Dillon Eustace

Green Finance

Many terms are used to describe global trends in green finance - sustainable finance, responsible investment, impact investing and most commonly, financing of environmental, social and governance issues (“ESG”), but what do they all mean?

Mary Dunne, Partner with Maples Group explains: Sustainable investing means different things to different people. As ESG finance comprises numerous different goals, the lack of a prevailing global consensus in ESG terminology raises difficulties for investors in comparing products. While an investor may want to invest in a project or fund that specifically contributes to carbon reduction, they may not want to do so at the expense of experiencing a corrupt or non-transparent corporate culture.

In recent years, we have seen a surge in EU-led regulatory and legislative developments in ESG and sustainable finance in order to create a greener economy while reducing so-called ‘greenwashing’ of funds, finance and projects. At the Maples Group, our team of expert lawyers have a deep understanding of ESG issues and practices and for many years, have advised domestic and international clients on ESG risks and compliance measures enabling them to become more competitive in the marketplace.

In March 2018, the European Commission (“EC”) adopted an action plan on sustainable finance as part of a strategy to integrate environmental, social and governance considerations into its financial policy framework and mobilise finance for sustainable growth. A significant driver of the EC support

for the integration of ESG criteria into financial markets is premised on the European Union’s 2030 targets as outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement. These targets cover a 40% cut in greenhouse gas emissions and there is an investment gap to fill, estimated at €180 bn per annum as cited by the EC, of which capital markets will play an important part.

In May 2018, the Commission released the first legislative package under the action plan, which comprised the following regulations:

n on Disclosures;

n amending the Benchmarks Regulation in relation to low carbon benchmarks and positive carbon impact benchmark;

n on the establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment (the “Taxonomy Regulation”); and

n amending MIFID II Delegated Regulation 2017/565 to integrate ESG considerations and preferences into investment advice and portfolio management.

The EU Regulation on sustainability-related disclosures in the financial services sector (the “Disclosure Regulation”) came into force at the end of December 2019, and has applied since, on a phased basis.

The Disclosure Regulation will require the integration of

sustainability risks in financial market participants’ investment decision-making processes or, where relevant, advisory processes and transparency regarding financial products that target sustainable investments. Specific requirements include pre-contractual disclosures (e.g. disclosures on websites and disclosures in periodic reports in relation to financial products).

The Taxonomy Regulation is currently making its way through the EU legislative process. It introduces common criteria for determining which economic activities can be considered environmentally sustainable as a matter of EU law. It also introduces amendments to the Disclosure Regulation, adding additional requirements for ESG products with certain characteristics as provided for under the Disclosure Regulation, in order to allow investors to identify the share of investments funding environmentally sustainable economic activities.

Ireland is committed to positioning itself as a green finance centre to complement its world-class financial services centre and investment infrastructure. Some of the notable ‘green accolades’ in the State are:

n as part of Ireland’s green commitment, the country was one of the first European movers to issue a green sovereign bond raising approximately €3 bn and was heavily oversubscribed;

n in 2018, Ireland was one the first countries to sell off its investments in fossil fuel companies in accordance with the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act 2018;

n the Irish Government’s ‘Ireland for Finance’ strategy puts sustainable finance at the heart of a five-year plan, which will run until 2025;

n the Irish Government introduced increased carbon taxes in our national budget released in October 2019;

Ireland plays a leading role internationally for thought leadership and is the European base for the United Nations’ Financial Centres for Sustainability (FC4S).

Going forward, it is likely that an ESG-focused approach to investment finance will continue to grow in Ireland. It is important to note that conformity with ESG principles is fast

becoming a market expectation within the EU bloc due to the legislative intervention of the European Commission mentioned above. Therefore, it may be the case that industry participants offering financial products on the market will have to offer assurance to potential investors by demonstrating that the proceeds will be utilised to finance green or social projects.

www.maples.com

financial planning in Uncertain Times

Ivan Ahern shares the first steps in creating a financial plan and when you should ask for help!

Covid-19 has us all feeling vulnerable. Our health, our finances, there’s so much uncertainty. While our biggest concern has been the health implications for our loved ones and on society at large, our financial health has a significant impact on our overall wellbeing. With more time spent at home these days, you may have time to analyse your finances that bit closer. Creating a Financial Plan can help you take control of your money, protect your family and prepare for your future. Here are 4 key steps to help you create your ideal financial future:

‘Before you decide your needs, ensure that you don’t confuse them with your wants. Needs are essentials such as your home, utilities, food, insurance, and so on. The wants are often things you think you need but when money pressure is on, you can do without.’

Creating a financial plan can help you take control of your money, protect your family and prepare for your future.

Step 1: Your Money

Step 3: Your Goals

Take an honest look at your money and your budget – what is your monthly/weekly expenditure versus your income.

Incomings - Identify all of your sources of income, allowances and any extra earnings you receive. Review your payslip to ensure you are on the correct point of the scale and receiving any income tax relief and allowances available to you.

Expenditure - Make a list of your monthly/weekly spending. A good rule of thumb to categorise your spending is the 50/30/20 budgeting ratio:

50% Needs – Mortgage or rent payments, loans, insurance and utilities.

30% Wants – Your livelihood, home improvements, cars, hobbies etc.

20% Savings –AVC, Emergency fund, holiday fund.

This ratio is a guideline only and is dependent of your situation. However, it should give an indication if you are overspending. If your spending is more than your income, you will need to revise your budget.

Step 2: Your Needs

Before you decide your needs, ensure that you don’t confuse them with your wants. Needs are essentials such as your home, utilities, food, insurance, and so on. The wants are often things you think you need but when money pressure is on, you can do without. This is the important step in becoming financially fit for life as it identifies the money you need to financially survive if something unexpected happens in your life. Being unable to cover these costs is often one of our biggest financial stresses. Evaluate the cover you need to protect your family including Income Protection, Health Insurance and Life Insurance to cover all of life’s events.

Your goals are unique to you and your family. Break them into short, medium and long-term.

Goals Time Examples

Short Up to 1 year A holiday, emergency fund

Medium 1 - 5 years A new car, house renovations

Long term 5 years or more

Early retirement, travel, children’s education

At this point, it’s good to evaluate what money you currently have to fulfil your goals so you will know what amount to put aside.

Step 4. Plan

The final step in creating your plan is identifying what to do with your money to make your goals happen.

n This is the perfect time to seek advice from a financial expert. They will help you analyse your long term options, for Rainy Day Funds, Education Funds, Retirement Savings or other investments, that could prove to be more beneficial for you.

n It’s important to know all of your options so you make the best choice for your future.

Cornmarket’s Financial Planning Service offers free, impartial advice to all Public Sector staff. For expert advice specific to your circumstances, call us on (01) 408 6277 - particularly if you have found yourself in financial difficulty due to the impact of Covid-19. We’re here to help you.

Ivan Ahern is a director at Cornmarket Groups Financial Services Ltd. Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. A member of the Irish Life Group Ltd. which is part of the Great-West Lifeco Group of companies. Telephone calls maybe recorded for quality control purposes.

Shipping Goes Green

Environmental issues and sustainability are a priority for port authorities throughout the EU and Dublin Port has a long commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its operations, writes Lynette Harcourt, Digital Media Manager, Dublin Port Company.

Dublin Port Company (DPC) strives to operate Dublin Port to the highest feasible environmental standards. DPC has an important and long standing commitment, firstly, to mitigate the negative environmental effects of Port operations and, secondly, to contribute to improving the environment. Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. For this reason DPC are committed to ensuring the monitoring and minimization of our environmental impact.

What Sustainability, the Environment

and Corporate Social Responsibility mean to DPC:

Sustainability to Dublin Port means ensuring that the Port can exist and operate at a rate which meets present human needs and demands and can expand to meet future needs while preserving the environment and remediating environmental problems of the past to enable the existence and operation of the Port to continue into the future. DPC together with our stakeholders’ participation, including port users, work towards ensuring a sustainable port constructed on sustainable operations, activities and developments. In keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals officially known as Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; Dublin Port Company and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) signed a joint energy efficiency agreement in 2014. Dublin Port Company has also achieved the Ports Environmental Review System (PERS) certification from Ecoports, a network of

ports and port related stakeholders sharing environmental experiences. PERS is based on internationally recognized professional best practice and defines a basic standard of good environmental practice for the port sector. DPC’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities allow us to integrate social and environmental concerns into our business operations. DPC is committed to not only considering the environment, but also the anthropogenic impact of the environment, ecology and preservation of the environment. Integration of the Port with Dublin City is one of our main objectives.

Our concern for the environment extends into the natural environment where we are supporting a major initiative by Bird Watch Ireland to carry out a multi-annual water bird research and monitoring programme. Dublin Bay is among the top-ten most important wetlands in Ireland for migratory wintering waterbirds and we have launched the Dublin Bay Birds project that is beginning to increase greatly the understanding of the habitats within the Bay and the movements of birds in the Bay throughout the year.

Dublin Port remains a centre for nature, heritage and conservation. The Port is adjacent to areas of high conservation value and amenity and has facilitated the creation of habitats, which are important, not just in an Irish sense but across Europe. In addition some of the structures developed in the Port have provided refuge and breeding grounds for protected species. A vibrant and successful port in Dublin has co-existed beneficially with a dynamic, developing and scarce natural habitat. It is the intention of Dublin Port Company to maintain Dublin Port as a centre for commerce within a centre for nature.

Roadbridge is a Limerick based international civil engineering company that has been in operation for over 50 year’s . We’ve built our reputation on working collaboratively with our clients, offering a quality service, and a product with genuine added value.

With one of Ireland’s largest in-house plant fleets giving us unparalleled control over project delivery, we have the experience, capability and proven track record in delivering major infrastructure projects safely, on time, and within budget.

roadbridge.ie

Crossagalla, Ballysimon Road, Limerick, V94 X2E1

An Ideal Partner

Roadbridge on board as a series of major projects transform Dublin Port’s infrastructure and enable it to service the economy for decades to come

Founded in 1967, Roadbridge specialises in the international delivery of complete infrastructure projects from £1m£300m, across all sectors; for a broad range of clients and contract conditions.The company has a long association with Dublin Port where it has delivered a number of major projects asspociated with the port’s ongoing expansion.

Last January Roadbridge L&M Keating JV announced that they had been awarded the Single Party Framework Agreement for the Quay Walls and Marine works at Dublin Port. Under this Framework the JV have commenced the upgrade of Berth 35, Ocean Pier consisting of 120m of new quay walls, pavement slab, utility services and quay furniture.

Onsite construction work is scheduled to commence in September 2020 with project completion scheduled for April 2021.

Roadbridge L&M Keating JV have a proud record of delivering major infrastructural projects for Dublin Port. Included among the major projects completed by the company are:

n Linkspan Structure 6 - 55m Linkspan, interchangeable between B31 & B32 Bankseats – completed Nov 2017

n Berth 26/27 - 140m quay wall & apron slab - completed Dec 2017

n Berth 28 - 120m quay wall & apron slab - completed Feb 2018

n Berth 32/34 - 340m quay wall & apron slab - completed Mar 2019

n Ro-Ro Jetty - 273m ro-ro jetty with 9 piled dolphinscompleted June 2019

n Terminal 4 Redevelopment & Revetment Removal Ph1 - 30,000m² concrete pavement, 110,000m³ dredge and disposal - completed Oct 2019

n Linkspan Structure 7 – 55m Linkspan, installed at B26 Bankseat – complete Feb 2020

n IED Dredge & Demolition - Dredge and treatment of 110,000m³ of bed material - planned completion November 2020

Towards a Circular Economy

Panda’s Circular Economy Journey; from Waste Disposal to Resource Recovery. David Tobin, Circular Economy Director at Beauparc, outlines the steps that need to be taken for Ireland to become a circular economy.

The consumer economy we live in is known as a linear economy. This is where goods are produced, consumed, sold, and ultimately disposed of, with no thought for the environmental costs. We are all becoming increasingly aware of the impacts this model and our society’s wastefulness is having on the environment; but what can we do about it?

A solution that has grown in popularity over recent years is that of the circular economy. A circular economy is an entire economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual re-use of resources already in circulation. For it to become fully effective, however, we must re-think how we view products, consumption, waste and how all stages of the consumer chain interact with the environment.

Beauparc, and in particular our waste subsidiary Panda, has evolved from its beginnings as a waste collection business to become the leading practitioner of the circular economy in action in Ireland today. Whilst there is still a long way to go, we are proud of our achievements so far in this area.

Many types of packaging and even the products we use every day are designed for disposal with no thoughts of the environmental impact. Products must instead be designed to ensure that they are recyclable and include recycled materials. We must get away from a throwaway society.

The first steps

Ireland’s circular economy journey has already begun. In 2011, Ireland had 127 working landfill sites. Today, there are just two landfills and two waste to energy facilities. In our view, however, this is only the start. People already understand that materials which used to be considered waste should be viewed as a resource worth recycling yet are presented with a confusing array of materials and mixed messages on what can be recycled, where and how.

At Beauparc we are committed to delivering on the circular economy goal of recycling resources and materials and returning them back to the economy to be used again. This is why Panda has embarked on a journey to convert the waste we collect into new resources and work to create a circular economy. We believe this commitment to the circular economy is crucial if we, as a society, want to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

We have already seen success in this area, with recent ‘end of waste’ initiatives for construction and demolition (C&D) materials, wood and recycled plastics.

Our reuse of C&D materials is a perfect example of the circular economy in action. Panda currently collects approximately 100,000 tonnes of C&D waste annually, comprised mainly of crushed concrete, but also containing ceramic, tiles, bricks and stone. Soon we will begin processing this material by crushing, screening, removal and separation to produce a reusable material known as ‘Greenrock.’ The Greenrock is set for use in the construction of a new road on a site here in Ireland.

The benefits of this initiative are twofold: we prevent the C&D materials from becoming waste that is clogging up our landfills and, by reusing it, we remove the need for more materials to be produced.

Promoting local recycling

Dave Tobin, Circular Economy Director, Beauparc

The subcontracting of recycling to countries outside of the EU is unsustainable. We must recycle resources in countries that place the same value on people and the environment as we do in Ireland

Another aspect of our drive toward the circular economy is to replace offshore recycling with local solutions, as we at Panda work to recycle more of the materials we collect in Ireland.

The sub-contracting of recycling to countries outside of the EU is unsustainable. We must recycle resources in countries that place the same value on people and the environment as we do in Ireland. Recycling should be completed in full view of the public with all its environmental and social aspects fully controlled and managed. This is simply not the case with some recycling in far-away destinations.

Completing the circle

By reducing waste going to landfill, we have taken only the first small steps towards a circular economy. Panda on its own cannot hope to meet recycling targets. Europe has imposed a requirement of 65% recycling rate by 2030, but Ireland has been stuck at around a 40% recycling rate for years. The recycling targets will not be met if manufacturers continue to consume finite materials instead of reusing recovered resources.

It is our view, just like the diversion of materials from landfill, that the achievement of “end of waste” is only a step towards a circular economy. The next steps are the inclusion of design features in new products and packaging to ensure that they are recyclable and the insistence that new products and packaging include minimum recycled material contents. The circular economy will only start to work, for a sustainable future, when these measures are taken in combination.

For example, Eco-design must be incorporated into products at concept stage. Many types of packaging and even the products we use every day are designed for disposal with no thoughts of the environmental impact. Products must instead be designed to ensure that they are recyclable and include recycled materials. We must get away from a throwaway society.

Just like the C&D material, much of what we collect from our customers is seen as non-recyclable, but we are busy working with government, manufacturers, universities and designers to change this outlook, through better product design, improved materials, more sensible use of precious resources and the inclusion of recycled materials in new products.

We cannot do this alone. Creating a fully functioning circular economy requires a concerted effort from both the public and private sectors to radically change our processes and rethink how we use materials. Our planet depends on it.

Beauparc currently employs 2,200 people, processes 2 million tonnes of waste, supplies over 55,000 homes with renewable electricity and generates over 40MW of electricity from landfill gas.

Accelerating Progress

The public sector has a key part to play in the national effort to reduce carbon emissions and create a more sustainable society and Ireland’s local authorities are also playing an increasingly important role in mitigating climate change.

The annual public sector energy conference hosted by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has become a key learning, planning and networking event for the 350+ public bodies in Ireland. This year, the fourth annual Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) public sector conference was held at the Helix in DCU and was attended by over 800 representatives from public bodies and government

The 2020 conference focused on accelerating leadership in the public sector towards the Government’s energy efficiency and CO² reduction targets. The Government’s Climate Action Plan sets out an ambitious vision for the public sector to achieve 50% energy efficiency improvement, 30% CO² reduction and all public buildings to be B-rated by 2030.

The conference examined strategies and solutions that the Irish public sector can adopt for long term, large scale planning for improvements in energy efficiency, increases in alternative energy sources and reduction of carbon emissions.

Attendees learned about strategic project financing, transitioning to electric fleets and achieving high performance buildings, among other topics.

The keynote address at the conference was given by former President, Mary Robinson, who spoke of the challenges facing

our society in relation to climate change and our responsibilities in relation to energy efficiency and decarbonisation targets. She called on public sector bodies to take a leadership role in this fight against climate change.

Evidence from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) showed that the winning formula to achieving energy targets is sustained senior management leadership, resources and continuous investment and improvement. Thirty public bodies are already certified to the international standard on energy management, ISO 50001, and are excelling in energy efficiency. While just over half of organisations have achieved, or on track to achieve, their 2020 energy targets, just under half will need to refocus their efforts to get on track.

Public bodies have made €1.3bn in energy savings and avoided 4.6m tonnes of CO² emissions since 2009 according to latest analysis by the (SEAI). The Annual Report 2019 on Public Sector Energy Efficiency Performance shows that the 345 public bodies and 2,678 schools who reported on their energy performance for 2018 achieved an aggregate improvement in efficiency increasing to 27%, up from 24% the previous year. It was the second consecutive year of marked improved performance, following the introduction of the Public Sector

Energy Efficiency Strategy in 2017.

Between them for 2018, this delivers a further €246 million in avoided energy spend and 761,000 tonnes of avoided CO² emissions. Even greater ambition and effort will be required to meet the 2030 targets of 50% energy efficiency coupled with a 30% reduction in actual CO² emissions as set out in the 2019 Climate Action Plan.

Meanwhile figures for the Local Authority sector show that it was slightly behind the overall public sector having achieved a 25% improvement in energy efficiency in the period to 2018. In October last year, all 34 Local Authorities signed a charter which commits local government to driving forward meaningful climate action in their communities, through the actions set out in the Climate Action Plan. The charter features a range of objectives to address the climate challenge.

Local authorities are now committed to delivering a 50 per cent improvement in energy efficiency by 2030 and to ensuring that suppliers provide information on their carbon footprint and on planned steps to reduce it. They must also adopt “green procurement”, factoring in environmental benefits in considering contracts they award.

In addition, they are required to put in place a process for carbon-proofing major decisions, programmes and projects, including investments in transport and energy and they have to monitor, evaluate and report annually on implementation of activities under the charter. The charter underlines local authorities’ leadership role “locally and nationally” in delivering effective climate action.

Research, carried out by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) on behalf of the County and City Management Association (CCMA) has found that half of all local authorities will achieve energy savings beyond their 2030 targets. The LGMA report shows that between 2011 and 2017, 20 local authorities invested €120m in energy efficiency projects preventing more than 60,000 tonnes of CO² from being produced – the equivalent emissions produced by 11,000 Irish homes annually.

All local authorities have now mandated the use of LED lighting in new public lighting installations and 30 local authorities have converted some public lighting to LED energy efficient bulbs. In addition, the National Public Lighting Upgrade Project will see the upgrading of 280,000 lights to energy efficient LED and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 31,000 tonnes annually.

Twenty local authorities have also piloted or are in the process of piloting Nearly Zero Energy Buildings in their social housing. Outside of energy efficiency, the local government sector has also been proactive in areas including sustainable transport development, flood risk management, water conservation, waste management, nature-based solutions and public engagement.

Supporting sustainable transport solution is a priority and 15 local authorities now have electric or hybrid vehicles in their own fleet. In addition more than 260 electric vehicle charging points for the public were available on local authority property at 2018 year end with plans to install a further 1,000 new EV charging points across the country over the next five years.

Cycling infrastructure continues to expand across local authorities, with approximately 14,000 bicycling parking spaces installed by the local authority sector nationally and more than 1,500km of segregated cycle lanes and 1,600km of integrated

cycle lanes across local authorities in the same period.

In addition, local authorities planted approximately 74,000 trees between 2017-2018 and implemented a significant number of nature-based policies with specific climate actions and have developed policies to deal with invasive alien species, managing trees and urban woodlands, developing green infrastructure and public open spaces and parks, and reducing pesticide usage.

Local authorities are also training employees, communities and social housing residents to reduce their climate change impact and save energy as part of the sector’s commitment to encourage public action.

The research shows councils are poised to meet that obligation, according to Michael Walsh, Chair of the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and Chief Executive of Waterford City and County Council. Describing he Local Authority Climate Action Charter as the blueprint for future progress in creating an Ireland that is sustainable for future generations, he said local authorities have huge ambitions for what they can achieve in the area of climate action.

“We are already making significant progress; councils around the country are cutting the carbon footprint of our internal operations, making our housing stock more energy efficient, prioritising climate considerations in development planning and actively engaging our communities on climate issues,” he said. “With support from central government we can do even more and provide the on-the-ground leadership needed to make Ireland a global leader in climate action.”

KEY POINTS: LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIMATE CHARTER,

n Put in place a process for carbon proofing major decisions, programmes and projects on a systematic basis, including investments in transport and energy infrastructure

n Deliver a 50% improvement in energy efficiency by 2030

n Ensure all suppliers provide information on their carbon footprint and steps they plan to reduce its impact

n Build local citizen engagement, particularly with young people

n Partner & collaborate on climate action initiatives with local community groups, local enterprise and local schools and higher level institutions

n Monitor, evaluate and report annually on the implementation of activities under the Charter

Energy not Wasted

The Dublin Waste to Energy (DWTE) facility, operated by Covanta, is situated on the Poolbeg peninsula in Dublin Bay and has been in operation since July 2017. Since commencing operation, the facility has converted over 1.8million tonnes of residual municipal solid waste into 1.3million MWhrs of electricity – enough to power over 100,000 homes per annum. It is one of the worlds most modern and advanced waste to energy facilities and employs 100 people.

The plant is a critical part of Ireland’s waste management infrastructure currently accepting 600,000tonnes of residual waste per annum, mainly from the Dublin area, equivalent to 33% of the total volume of non-recycled waste in the country. Instead of landfilling the waste or exporting it to other countries in Europe energy is recovered. Prior to the opening of the facility Ireland was exporting over 550,000tonnes of waste to other countries in Europe, who subsequently converted it to energy. Now this figure is c.350,000 tonnes with the DWTE facility accounting for this reduction. It means that Ireland is becoming more self-sufficient in dealing with its waste and is developing a more sustainable waste management system.

There are currently over 450 waste to energy plants throughout Europe and they make a major contribution to the circular economy by dealing with waste that cannot be recycled

or put to another useful purpose. This figure is increasing year on year as countries abandon landfill as their primary waste disposal option and start putting the waste to a more useful purpose. In addition, waste-to-energy facilities contribute to the EU Energy Union as they produce sustainable energy throughout Europe. Their importance as a source of energy is reflected in the fact that Waste to Energy facilities provide c.1.5% of the energy used in Europe.

Waste to Energy is considered the best practical environmental option for residual waste management by moving waste up the EU Waste hierarchy away from landfill, but it should not be seen as a displacer for recycling - it is used to manage non-recycled waste. Although, the waste to energy process does produce some CO² this is over 35 times less harmful to the atmosphere than methane generated by landfills.

Indeed, when it comes to emissions the modern waste to energy facilities such as that operated in Poolbeg are one of the cleanest sources of energy.

The DWTE facility exports 62MW of clean energy per hour, as mentioned earlier, enough to power over 100,000 homes. Furthermore, the DWTE plant is district heating enabled and will deliver heat to the new development in the nearby former Irish Bottle Site in Ringsend and the docklands area of Dublin in the next few years. In time over 50,000 homes will be heated by the Dublin District heating system with DWTE being the primary heat source. The plant is 33 per cent energy efficient at present but this will rise to over 88 percent once the district heating begins operation. In addition, applications are ongoing to increase the volume of waste through the plant to 690,000tonnes which in turn will help to deliver more electrical and heat energy to the community.

Finally, another positive aspect of the DWTE facility is its contribution to the local community via the Dublin Waste to Energy Community Gain Fund. During the construction phase of the project over €10 million was contributed by the company and since operation over €600,000 per annum has been give to the fund. This has led to the significant enhancement of local amenities including sports clubs, playgrounds, schools the local community centre, etc. which has been welcomed by the community of Sandymount, Ringsend and Irishtown in Dublin.

There

are currently over 450 waste to energy plants throughout Europe and they make a major contribution to the circular economy by dealing with waste that cannot be recycled or put to another useful purpose. Their importance as a source of energy is reflected in the fact that Waste to Energy facilities provide c.1.5% of the energy used in Europe.

Raise the Barriers

A sophisticated flood forecasting system is a key element of the new 10-year €1 billion flood risk management plan which is funding 118 flood relief schemes to tackle the calamitous effects of recent flooding.

The first €257m tranche of a new 10-year €1 billion flood risk management plan which will fund 50 new flood relief schemes was launched in Athlone recently by Minister of State for the Office of Public Works, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran

The plan was developed following a review of 300 floodprone sites as part of the OPS’s Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Programme (CFRAM) study, which began in 2012. Mapping carried out in some of the areas worst affected by the floods in the last decade revealed 34,500 properties at risk of flooding and 50 new schemes will now proceed immediately to design stage in order to alleviate the threat.

Detailed engineering analysis, assessment and extensive public consultation was undertaken for the 300 communities identified as being most likely to be impacted by future flooding(including 90 coastal areas). The CFRAM Programme studied 80% of properties at risk from the primary cause of flooding in areas that house almost two thirds of our

population. While the Programme assessed flood risk in all our large urban areas, approximately one quarter of communities assessed had populations of less than 500 people and half had less than 2,000 people

A number of schemes have been prioritised including a €31 million project to help protect 768 houses in Tralee and a further €8.5m to secure 221 homes in Ballinasloe, Co Galway. In addition, €56m has been earmarked for the design and construction of a scheme in Limerick city where 890 houses are affected while a €40m investment has been committed to the Dundalk/Blackrock South scheme, where 1,737 houses have been deemed to be at risk.

The new schemes in addition to ongoing projects will protect most of the properties deemed to be at risk of flooding, according to Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran

“Progressing these initial 50 new flood relief schemes, together with those 75 schemes already complete and underway,

Minister Moran said he was prepared to meet and work with local authorities on flood prevention measures and he specifically mentioned areas such as Portumna and Carrick on Shannon

will protect 80% of the 34,500 properties assessed at having a 1% chance of experiencing a significant flood event in any year,” the Minister said.

“The Flood Risk Management Plans allow the Government to build on significant investment on flood defence schemes, since 1995, which has delivered 42 major flood relief schemes around the country. These schemes successfully provide protection to 9,500 properties and the economic benefit to the State in damage and losses avoided are estimated at €1.9 billion. There are currently also 9 major schemes under construction and a further 24 at design/development which together will provide protection to a further 12,000 properties.

This investment has also supported completion of 500 localised flood relief schemes by local authorities under the Minor Works Scheme protecting 6,500 properties. Two-thirds of these are protecting properties outside of the CFRAM study areas. The Minor Works Scheme will continue to ensure that local flood problems continue to be identified and resolved, in tandem with addressing the flood risk in large urban areas. I can give my assurance that sufficient funding will be available within the 10 year capital envelope to meet all eligible applications from local authorities to progress with viable minor flood works”.

The Minister confirmed that €14m made will be made immediately available to 19 local authorities to lead on delivery of 31 of these schemes. The 50 schemes which are due to go to the design stage immediately, includes five major schemes, each costing more than €15 million, 14 schemes each between €1 and €15 million and 31 schemes across 19 local authority areas each costing less than €1 million.

Acknowledging that not all areas that may have had flooding problems have been selected for schemes, Minister Moran said he was prepared to meet and work with local authorities on flood prevention measures and he specifically mentioned areas such as Portumna and Carrick on Shannon.

In relation to concerns that hundreds of propertyowners may find themselves in areas that are now effectively designated as at risk of flooding for the first time in places such

Minister of State for the Office of Public Works, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran

as Dundalk, Mr Moran said he was due to meet with insurance companies shortly and also intended to hold discussions about areas where insurance cover is still not available, despite the fact that 42 major schemes have already been completed.

“We are working closely with the insurance companies and we have a memorandum of understanding. Where we do have flood walls we have now up to 80 per cent of insurance covering those people,” he said.

The plan has been broadly welcomed by groups supporting communities at risk of flooding who have warned that difficulty re-insuring is hindering economic development in affected towns such as Fermoy, Clonakilty, Clonmel and Skibbereen.

Then Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar who attended the launch of the Flood Risk Management Plan in Athlone paid tribute to the OPW, local authorities, communities and all those organisations who worked together to develop the 10-year strategy. He said that the national flood forecasting service will help guide the national response to flood events which he said can have a severe impact on affected communities and also result in huge economic costs.

“Flooding can have a devastating impact on families, communities and businesses. If your home or business is badly damaged or destroyed by flooding, the emotional and financial impact is immense. It also has a huge cost to the economy,” he stated.

“Not so long ago these were rare events which we talked about for decades afterwards but they are becoming more frequent. It is now commonplace to hear about a once-in-a-century event. It seems to happen almost every couple of months.”

Flooding is currently estimated to cost the economy almost €200 million a year and experts warn that we could be facing an annual bill of €1,000 million a year, if we do not take the appropriate protective measures.

A new website, www.floodinfo.ie has also been launched where people can view the community risk and measures in place, underway and now proposed to tackle flood risk in these 300 areas, and nationally. This map and plan viewer website is another important resource, to support planning, emergency response

Champions of Sustainability

Carlow County Council has been chosen as one of twelve leaders to drive forward Ireland’s sustainable development goals.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all United Nations Member States provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries in a global partnership. The chosen champions are responsible for raising awareness and overseeing the national implementation of the 2030 agenda, as well as demonstrating practical ways in which organisations and communities can contribute to achieving the goals.

At the 2019 National Ploughing Championships in Ballintrane, Fenagh Co. Carlow, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton T.D announced the STG Programme 2019/20 and appointed 12 champions – including Carlow County Council - to drive Ireland’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The 17 SDG’s are an ambitious set of targets covering the social, economic and environmental requirements for a sustainable future. They cover policy areas such as poverty eradication, economic development, protection of the environment, access to health and education services, gender equality, peaceful societies and human rights.

Carlow County Council is committed within this programme to work together with the 11 other partnering champions and other agencies like the National Federation. Carlow County Council is primarily focusing on six Goals: No Poverty; Clean Water & Sanitation, Affordable & Clean Energy, Sustainable Cities & Communities, Responsible Consumption & Production and Climate Action.

Since the announcement of the programme, Carlow County Council has spoken at many events around Ireland to promote the SDGs including the National PPN Conference, Energy Performance Officers, Waste Management Regional Office, Communities Water Programme, Laudato Si and the CCMA.

Several exciting events are ongoing, including a partnership with Carlow GAA and 3 Counties Energy Agency to complete high-level energy audits of GAA facilities in County Carlow which will identify energy usage and potential saving in energy use.

Carlow County Council acknowledges the support of many organisations in the promotion of the SDGs including Chambers Ireland, Smart Farming, National Federation of Group Water Schemes, Irish Water, Community Waters Office, SEAI, USI, PPN Network, The GAA, 3CEA, National Ploughing Association, The EPA, Waste Management Offices and Carlow IT.

To ensure that a long-term legacy of the programme remains, Carlow County Council has commenced the redevelopment of the former landfill site at Powerstown into a Biodiversity park, with future ambitions to make it an educational centre. Works have already commenced, with planting on over 4 hectares at the site and a range of insect and bee-friendly plants and trees have been established. Working with Carlow Beekeepers Association, a number of hives have been installed and this will be used as an area to train beekeepers.

Carlow County Council is fully committed to working for the common good of citizens to deliver quality services and to promote sustainable economic, social and cultural development for current and future generations.

Powering Dublin with Renewable Energy and Sustainable Waste Management

Every year, the Dublin Waste to Energy Facility:

Processes 600,000 tonnes of residual municipal solid waste

Generates electricity for over 100,000 homes

Saves the equivalent of 250,000 tonnes of fossil fuel

High Energy in Cork

Cork City Council is pleased to announce that it has achieved ISO 50001 certification – an international standard that recognises best practice in the area of managing energy within an organisation.

Cork City Council’s certification has been achieved after an extensive audit of the organisation’s energy management system which is used to manage energy use under the control of Cork City Council.

The ISO 50001 certification highlights Cork City Council’s determination to continually improve the efficiency of the organisation’s energy use and in turn, reducing its carbon footprint. The journey to achieving ISO 50001 accreditation formally commenced in September 2018 when members of Cork City Council’s Energy Agency attended the ISO 50001 Accelerate Programme held by SEAI. In November 2018, Cork City Council Chief Executive Ann Doherty approved the establishment of a cross-departmental Energy Team which played a central role in the effective implementation of the energy management system.

ISO 50001 certification will assist Cork City Council in meeting Ireland’s national energy efficiency targets of a 33% improvement in energy efficiency by the end of 2020 and a 50% efficiency improvement by 2030. Cork City Council is currently on course to meet the 2020 target, having achieved a 31.5% improvement in energy efficiency compared to the baseline year of 2009. This currently puts Cork City Council 5% ahead of the target glide-path to meet its 2020 target. It will also contribute to

the implementation of the Cork City Council’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and the Sustainable Energy Climate Action Plan (SECAP).

Cork City Council has continually invested in energy efficiency projects over the years to help meet national targets and reduce carbon emissions. One of the stand-out projects to date is the generation of electricity from landfill gas at the now closed Kinsale Road landfill site. This project commenced the production of green electricity in November 2015 and is expected to continue until 2022. Another project exemplifying Cork City Council’s drive to improve energy efficiency is the greening of the Council’s transport fleet. In January 2020 over seventy electric vehicles were introduced to the transport fleet replacing seventy diesel vehicles. Cork City Council is the leading local authority in the country for the number of electric vehicles in its transport fleet.

Commenting on the recent ISO 50001 accreditation, Cork City Council’s Energy Performance Officer and Senior Engineer, Noel Murtagh stated: “The Energy Section of Cork City Council was very happy to work with SEAI and receive this accreditation which will help in the organisation achieving ambitious energy-saving targets and assist in the implementation of the climate change adaptation strategy”.

Fulfilling Sligo’s growth centre potential

Sligo is a key business node for the Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC), connecting the western counties with Northern Ireland. Here Sligo County Council CEO, Ciarán Hayes outlines the vision to make Sligo the economic, tourist and cultural capital of the Northwest.

Sligo is positioning itself to fulfil its’ growth centre potential in accordance with the Governments’ National Planning Framework (NPF) designation. It is putting in place the necessary building blocks for the city and county to be promoted and marketed as a ‘Smart Region’ that is attractive to a variety of clean industries including a range of Information Communication Technology (ICT) companies capable of providing quality jobs in a sustainable and innovative environment.

Initiated and supported by the Council, the Sligo Economic Forum is central to this objective, whereby Sligo is speaking with ‘one voice and one vision’ in the development of the

county’s proposals for 2030. Working with Sligo as a pilot, the Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions’ (JASPERS ) will advise on the formulation of a multi-sector sustainable development strategy for 2030, set investment priorities taking into account Sligo’s comparative advantages, have regard to the opinions of stakeholders, adopt a comprehensive approach in the making of investment decisions, make use of skills, innovation and new technologies and foster a pro-innovation environment.

The unprecedented investment in the county’s roads infrastructure is just one of the many reasons to be positive about

O’Connell Street – artistic impression of completed scheme

Ciarán Hayes, Chief Executive of Sligo County Council; Orla Carroll, Director of Product Development at Fáilte Ireland; Cathaoirleach Councillor Tom MacSharry; Seán Canney TD, Minister of State for the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Minister of State for Community Development, Natural Resources and Digital Development

Iconic literary

figures, a treasure of ancient monuments, a rich musical tradition, enchanting trails and scenic walkways mark out Sligo as an optimum location for people in which live, invest or visit.

Sligo’s future and shows what can be achieved when key agencies work in dynamic partnership towards a common objective.

Taken in conjunction with the progress being made right across all service areas, Sligo County Council is making a real impact on people’s lives, and communities all over the county are energised and enhanced by schemes such as the Town and Village Renewal Programme.

In addition to the capital roads programme, exciting proposals are progressing for O’Connell Street and the Stephen Street Cultural Plaza, the Yeats Trail, Armada Centre, Grange, Enniscrone Bath House, Pavilion and Promenade and Greenways. “I believe our designation as a centre for centre for economic growth will be the catalyst and driver as we deliver on our status as economic, tourist and cultural capital of the Northwest,” explains Hayes.

The renewed local vibrancy and energy was in evidence at the launch of the new Sligo brand and website. Sligo’s many attractions combine to frame that elusive concept known as ‘quality of life’ with outstanding natural scenery, first-class

service and hospitality and progressive and dynamic third-level colleges in abundance throughout the county. Now add to that wonderful mix - iconic literary figures, a treasure of ancient monuments, a rich musical tradition across all genres, enchanting trails and scenic walkways. Taken in isolation these jewels would enhance any setting, collectively they mark out Sligo as an optimum location for people in which live, invest or visit.

Key Projects

The proposed Sligo Cultural Plaza will transform an existing city centre car park into a permanent flagship attraction for visitors to Sligo, as well as for the local community. A traffic-free location on the banks of the Garavogue and within easy reach of public transport, public car and coach parking and Sligo Tourist Office, the plaza will serve primarily as a welcoming place for visitors, orienting them and providing information about Sligo and its many amenities and attractions.

Sligo County Council is developing a Digital Strategy for

County Sligo. The objective of the strategy is to place County Sligo at the forefront of digital transition, using its benefits to enable the successful implementation of the climate action agenda, develop economic activity in the Sligo region, and improve social inclusion. The Council will continue to work with partner agencies to progress these various strands and to ensure Sligo is the optimum location in which to live, invest or visit.

The strategy will see the development of Sligo into a Smart City with the aim of realising energy-efficient neighbourhoods, smart transport and development of infrastructure with the capability to use data analytics from smart technology to provide information which enables the ongoing improvement of all aspects of the city and its environs.

Sligo Economic Forum

The Sligo Local Economic & Community Plan (LECP) 2016 –2021 outlines a five-year Strategy for Economic and Community Development in Sligo. The LECP exists to “collectively promote and develop Sligo as the economic driver of the North West and as a quality location for sustainable investment, tourism entrepreneurship and employment”. The economic vision for the county is as follows: “County Sligo will be known locally, nationally and internationally for its rich talent, innovative education system, robust infrastructure, supportive business environment, entrepreneurial culture and high quality of life.

Road Investment Programme

The O’Connell Street Enhancement Project involves the refurbishment of Sligo’s busiest commercial zone and pedestrian thoroughfare. The main design ethos is to create an improved pedestrian zone by enhancing the quality and attractiveness of the urban environment while concurrently creating a permeable interconnected metropolitan space that

will facilitate commercial and residential opportunities for the undeveloped and underutilised sites on and in proximity to O’Connell Street. Construction commenced in April of 2019 and it is envisaged that all works shall be completed by Q2 of 2020.

The proposed Eastern Garavogue Bridge and Approach Roads would provide a local link road on the eastern side of Sligo City. It is required to overcome the inadequacies of the existing road network in facilitating local travel between the eastern parts of Sligo City without need for travel through the city centre. The development will join communities north and south of the Garavogue River, will improve circulation and will reduce traffic congestion in the city centre.

Sligo East City, Cranmore & Environs Regeneration

A major milestone in the Regeneration Process the Sligo East City, Cranmore Regeneration project has been a major undertaking and was based on extensive consultation and engagement with the local community.

The Regeneration Vision is:

n To make the area a more attractive place to live with better, convenient connections to existing and new facilities locally and in the rest of Sligo.

n To enable individuals and communities in the area to avail of emerging opportunities and access to employment, education, health and family support services.

n To secure the area as a location of choice for future generations in which to live, work and visit.

The Masterplan describes a number of physical projects and social and economic initiatives to address needs. These projects will provide much-needed investment to improve housing in the area, open spaces and roads, as well as investment in community facilities.

Artists impression of Eastern Garavogue Bridge – view from southern bank of Eastern Garavogue Bridge looking west into the City

Preserving the Past, Shaping the Future

The story of Farrell Doyle is a conservation story in itself and the idea of structural integrity, one of the cornerstones of their day to day work practices, lies at the heart of the story.

The business was founded in 2011 by Fintan Farrell who has over 30 years of experience in conservation services and has a strong reputation in the industry for his knowledge and expertise. Fintan is descended from generations of stonemasons, engineers and construction project managers; he grew up with this in his blood.

Soon after the foundation of the business, Fintan’s daughter Laura joined the fold bringing her own construction and conservation qualifications and experience to the table. In 2018 they rebranded the business from Fintan Farrell Conservation Services to Farrell Doyle Conservation.

According to Fintan, energy efficiency is the zeitgeist of the construction industry. “We want our buildings to use low carbon footprint materials with the completed structure having

little impact as possible on the planet,” he says. Conservation and energy efficiency appear to be an oxymoron; surely you can only have one? Buildings of conservation heritage use traditional building methods whereas energy-efficient buildings are using the latest technology. How can they go hand in hand?

Fintan explains that the last fifteen years have seen some wonderful advances in conservation technology, where the uniqueness of conservation is respected while aligning to meet modern-day needs. “This blend of the old and new is quite exciting,” he says. Together, Fintan and Laura exemplify this cornerstone idea of blending traditional building methods with new conservation technologies to ensure the longevity of historic buildings for future generations.

Breathing new life into old buildings

Buildings built pre 1960’s are prone to dampness. As day to day living becomes more sophisticated and the focus shifts to energy conservation, these older buildings can get left behind, but that need not be the case. One issue that stands out for conservation and heritage buildings is their inability to be energy efficient and provide adequate comfort for occupants. Condensation, mould and cold bridging are common across these homes.

“The last 15 years have seen a major shift in this area,” Fintan explains. “Fully breathable dry lining systems which meet conservation criteria, save energy and give occupants a better experience in their homes are now available on the Irish market. This makes built heritage energy efficient, rids homes of condensation and mould issues as well as ensuring aged buildings can grow with our changing needs.”

A family home in Rathgar, Dublin 6 put Farrell Doyle to the test by requesting a fully breathable dry lining system. By implementing this system and increasing insulation to the subfloor and attic space, Farrell Doyle brought the home from a BER G rating to a C2 rating; an improvement which is excellent for a property of 120 years of age.

Energy

efficiency is the zeitgeist of the construction industry. We want our buildings to use low carbon footprint materials with the completed structure having little impact as possible on the planet.

Fintan and Laura embrace every challenge they are set and consistently deliver beyond expectation. “When we merge traditional building methods with conservation technology we are taking these buildings with us for generations while maintaining their character and history.”

Trash Talk

China’s refusal to become the west’s dumping ground has forced Ireland to face up to a waste crisis

It has been two years since China closed its doors to the world’s recycling waste. Since joining the World Trade Organization in 2001, China has taken in enormous quantities of the world’s trash and relied on cheap labour to process it. By 2016, the country was importing 40 million metric tons of recyclable products every year, amounting to 45 percent of the planet’s recycling waste.

Globally, 111m tons of plastic waste will be displaced by the Chinese ban by 2030, according to Science magazine. China attributed the decision to the extensive levels of contamination

of the imported waste which posed increasing environmental hazards. The decision threw the global recycling industry into chaos as most countries lack the required infrastructure in place to manage their own recycling waste.

Ireland, which exported 95% of our plastic waste to China prior to 2018 has since been sending plastic waste to India, Turkey, Vietnam and Malaysia as well as EU processors in Holland and Germany. Ireland is the largest producer of plastic packaging waste in Europe with each citizen generating 61 kg of plastic packaging waste per year. Only two other countries

The latest EPA figures show that 84% of glass and 72% of aluminium were recycled in 2018 while the figure for recycled plastic waste was just 33%.

produce over 40 kg of plastic waste per person including Estonia which produces 52 kilogrammes per person and Luxembourg which produces 46 kilogrammes.

Plastic production has grown sharply since 1950. Between 2015 and 2016 alone, global production increased by 4%, from 332m tons to 335m tons according to Plastics Europe. To date we have manufactured an estimated 9.2bn tons of plastic and a mere 9% has been recycled.

Different materials are recycled with differing degrees of success and the latest EPA figures show that 84% of glass and 72% of aluminium were recycled in 2018 while the figure for recycled plastic waste was just 33%. The EPA figures reveal a declining trend over the previous two years when plastic recycling rates of 34% and 35% were recorded for 2017 and 2016.

The latest EPA figures on waste packaging shows Ireland continuing to generate significant amounts of waste packaging, totalling just over 1 million tonnes in 2018 - a figure which remains unchanged since 2017. Packaging includes paper and cardboard, plastic, glass, wood and metal packaging.

While Ireland met current EU requirements and achieved high recycling rates in some packaging material streams, in particular glass, paper and cardboard, there are some worrying trends. Overall, recycling rates are on a downward trend with 64% of packaging recycled in 2018 compared with 74% in 2012. This has coincided with an increase in the quantity of packaging sent for incineration with energy recovery in recent years. In relation to plastic packaging, Ireland’s recycling rate has dropped for the third year in a row to 31%.

“To get the most from our resources in this area, we need to reduce packaging and reverse our falling recycling rates,” says Dr Eimear Cotter, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Sustainability. “Households and businesses can drive this change by avoiding over-packaged goods which sends a strong signal back to producers to innovate for reduced packaging and reusable alternatives.

“We must also maximise recycling of the remaining materials, and waste collectors have a critical role here in ensuring their customers segregate correctly and use the appropriate bin. To support this, Ireland’s recycling list should, as a matter of urgency, be reviewed to expand the variety of waste types that can be recycled.

“Maximising the prevention, reuse and recycling of packaging materials is an important element of developing a circular economy in Ireland which aims to reduce waste throughout the economic cycle, and ensures that materials are used efficiently. Developing a circular economy is also strong and effective climate action.”

DROWNING IN PLASTIC

The quantity of plastic discarded in the world’s oceans is estimated to be 11m tons annually and a worrying new study suggests that this figure could treble in the next twenty years.

Research by the Pew Charitable Trusts and Systemiq has found that without urgent and sustained action, the huge amount of plastic entering the ocean could reach 600m tons by 2040 and wreak havoc on ecosystems around the planet.

Worryingly, the report says that current commitments by Governments and business will only result in a 7% decline in the volume of plastic reaching our oceans. “Without meaningful change, about four million people worldwide are likely to be without organised waste collection services by 2040,” the report states.

However, on a more hopeful note, the report also offers solutions which it says could cut the additional volume of plastic going into our oceans by over 80% by 2030.

The recommended measures include:

n Reducing growth in plastic production and consumption

n Substituting some plastics with alternatives such as paper and compostable materials

n Designing products and packages for recycling

n Expanding waste collection rate in middle and low-income nations

n Increasing recycling

n Reducing plastic waste exports

As well as improving the health of our oceans, these measures could generate savings of €60bn for governments by 2040 while annual plastic-related greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 25% and more than 700,000 jobs could be created.

safety starts with fire prevention

Writech and its expertise is the safest choice for your business. Be Safe and Be Compliant.

The Writech Group incorporating Writech Industrial Services Ltd and Writech Manufacturing Ltd has been providing Global Fire Protection Design, Manufacture, Installation, Commissioning & Servicing services since 1985. It operates from manufacturing & office facility based in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Ireland, where systems are pre-fabricated and assembled to client’s requirements. Writech employs highly trained and qualified design personnel to provide the most up to date design and hydraulic analysis for each and every project to tailor solutions for all our client’s requirements. The company is also approved to the universally recognised Fire Sprinkler approval scheme LPS 1048 under the guidance of the LPCB & BRE of London. Providing experienced and professional guidance to all specific fire risks, the Writech Group are Ireland’s largest independently owned Fire Protection System Service and Maintenance Company approved to ISO 9001:2015 and providing clients with 24/7 back-up. From project conception to finished operation, our team works with the customer and its team to achieve the highest level of quality, safety and reliability installing the system suitable to safeguard the company’s personnel from risk and fire.

Pre Action Valve and Control Panel Skid sets

AutoCAD Drawing High Level Protection System

Fire Protection System (Pump room skid) shipped to Bahrain (FM Approved)

Writech can take any commercial or manufacturing building, risk assess the operation with the client’s insurance company and develop a fire protection strategy. With this strategy a water or gas based fire protection system will be designed, fabricated in Mullingar, shipped to the site and installed. After installation, the service and maintenance teams will head up customer support and maintenance of the system for years to come. The Group’s recent investment into a Global Training and Demonstration Centre has proven to be extremely popular amongst clients. Writech originated as a family business to provide maintenance and call out services for clients with fire sprinkler pumps. Having accumulated comprehensive knowledge and expertise concerning fire protection systems and recognising a market need for specialist fire protection solutions; the company was established in 1985 and since then as evolved to become a global market leader. A key characteristic

of the business is the ability to innovate and pioneer new technologies to ensure we remain to the forefront of our industry: As design engineer’s our key clients include the following:

n Developers

n Architects

n MEP Engineers

n Main Construction Contractors

n Facilities Managers

Writech has acquired through the years’ experience in the Sectors:

Fire protection systems specific to public and commercial organisations across all sectors to include:

n Hospitals and Healthcare

n Datacentres

n Prisons

n Food and pharmaceutical

n Retail and hospitality

n National heritage sites

n Educational InstitutionsAviation industry

For more information regarding our company, product & services please visit our website: https://www.writechltd.com

The Writech Group is an internationally recognised leader in Fire Protection Systems Over the past 4 decades Writech have served some of the worlds best known companies, most of

Writech Services

Concrete Solutions

Gerry Farrell, CEO of Irish Concrete Federation discusses the benefits of concrete both in terms of energy efficiency and balancing energy demand.

During the recent general election, there was much commentary on the shortage of newly built houses to meet the demands of an ever-increasing population. This shortage of new homes has undoubtedly been a major contributing factor to the levels of homelessness currently being experienced, particularly in larger urban cities. Ireland’s housing market has evolved from a situation a decade ago where supply greatly exceeded demand, to today’s reality where output, while steadily increasing, has struggled to reach the levels required, particularly in our capital city. Another prominent theme that emerged during the election

campaign was that of the environment and climate change. The Irish electorate now see action on climate change and a reduction of national greenhouse gases as a priority for the new government.

The electorate has placed a responsibility on its public representatives to ensure that Ireland meets its societal needs, while doing so in a manner that protects the environment. These responsibilities encompass both our natural and built environment and the way we construct our buildings and our homes, including the materials that are used in construction.

Concrete is the most used man-made material on earth. It forms the foundations of cities and connects communities. Without it, many of the elements of modern life we take for granted today wouldn’t be possible – safe buildings and homes, roads, tunnels and bridges, clean water and clean energy. In addition, concrete will also play a vital role in providing solutions to the challenges of the future and in building a sustainable world of tomorrow.

Energy Storage

The ability of concrete to store heat through its thermal mass could make it an important energy storage solution, helping to balance electricity grids by flexibly using renewable energy at times of peak generation. Thermal mass is the ability of heavyweight building materials such as concrete to store energy, which is later released. In summer this avoids overheating in buildings and keeps temperatures comfortable by both absorbing energy from the air and providing cool radiative surfaces. In winter the thermal mass can absorb heat gains during the day and reradiate them in the evening. While thermal mass is used to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and provide a stable indoor temperature, a further previously untapped benefit is to use the thermal storage

capacity offered by the structure to provide flexibility in energy grids, thereby facilitating the uptake of renewable energy.

One of the challenges of renewable energy is the mismatch between when energy is generated and when it is needed. In order to make the most of the energy generated by renewables such as wind and solar, flexibility is needed in the electricity grid. Heavyweight buildings can provide this flexibility by allowing consumer demand to be shifted in time through structural thermal energy storage.

One form this can take is known as active demand response (ADR), where smart controls and energy storage help balance the electricity grid. Here, the structural thermal energy storage capacity of a heavyweight building has huge potential, as this requires no additional investment costs, unlike other storage systems. By actively preheating or precooling a building during off-peak times (such as early in the morning), energy is absorbed and stored within the fabric of a building, then released over the course of the next few hours. This offers several benefits. It reduces energy bills for consumers as energy is used during off-peak times when electricity prices are lower. For energy grids, it lowers peak demand, reducing the need for additional investment in power generation capacity and finally for the environment, a higher use of renewable energy reduces the use of fossil fuels, thereby reducing CO² emissions.

The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH), established in 1982, is the national representative federation for the non-profit housing association (AHB) sector in Ireland. Housing associations have a long tradition in providing secure social rented homes at affordable rents and delivering and managing homes as far back as the 1890s.

The ICSH represents up to 270 affiliated member organisations throughout the country, including larger developing housing associations as well regional and local community housing associations providing specialist housing.

  -  k0 0   00000

Collectively, the sector by the end of 2020, will have provided and manage almost 40,000 homes for families, older persons, homeless households, people with disabilities and single people. A number of housing associations are increasingly developing, with local authorities, new types of rental housing options for intermediate income households as part of meeting wider housing options.

Housing associations have worked in partnership with local authorities in joint ventures in the regeneration of estates to enhance the quality of life of local residents. Housing associations also provide housing related services that seek to prevent households becoming homeless including those encountering mortgage difficulties. AHBs and the housing association sector now provide over 40% of all new social housing delivery in line with targets in Rebuilding Ireland. AHBs are increasingly using new innovative forms of finance for enhancing delivery as well as working within a newlyestablished regulatory framework.

 k    k- k   

The ICSH provides a wide range of information, advice, guidance, education and training, research as well as group schemes to our members supporting them to develop and further thrive.

Taking Stock of Heating

IERC launches report examining domestic heating policy against four other EU countries

The Covid-19 pandemic has created a pivotal moment for Government to adopt sustainable practices for working from home, which means an urgent need for new low-cost home heating solutions, including mass retrofitting of existing stock.

Those are some of the conclusions from scientists at the International Energy Research Centre (IERC) at the Corkbased Tyndall National Institute which recently published the EuroHeat Report - a joint project with Ervia and Gas Networks Ireland that compared Irish homes with four other European countries to gauge housing stocks and heating analysis.

The aim of this report is to analyse the domestic heat sector policy and strategy of countries with a similar temperate climate to Ireland, such as Belgium, France, Netherlands and UK.

This report provides policy recommendations to support the decarbonisation of the domestic heating in Ireland along with a comprehensive statistical analysis of similar-climate countries and their housing stocks. This report also looks at the key technologies and the implementation strategies of the countries’ leading in domestic heating decarbonisation.

The report has “significant and urgent policy recommendations that are now even more timely as Ireland begins phased recovery from Covid-19” said Piyush Verma, author and senior energy market analyst at the IERC.

“With both employers and employees realising the benefits of remote working over the past few months, work from home looks set to become a common practice in Ireland.

“This change creates a pivotal moment for Government to adopt the significant policies needed for us to make our new work from home lifestyles sustainable.”

Mr Verma said heating already accounts for 60% of domestic energy consumption in Ireland, the highest among the five countries compared and this percentage is set to significantly increase as more of the Irish workforce works from home instead of commuting to an office.

“Climate change is one of the world’s greatest and most urgent global challenges,” added Brendan Murphy, Ervia

Commercial & Regulatory Director. “Among other things, it flags the need for significant research, development and demonstration (RD&D) investment regarding the use of biogas and hydrogen in the gas network.

“We look forward to collaborating with the energy sector to help achieve gas decarbonisation as part of the Government’s Climate Action Plan.”

KEY FINDINGS

n In four EU Member States, more than half of the total energy used for heating and cooling came from renewable energy sources in 2017: Sweden (69.1 %), Finland (54.8 %), Latvia (54.6 %) and Estonia (51.6 %). In contrast, the lowest shares were in the Netherlands (5.9 %), Ireland (6.9 %) and the United Kingdom (7.5 %).

n Comparing to the selected countries, Ireland has seen the highest decline in energy consumption per dwelling with more than 38% during the period 2006-2016.

n France has the highest share of renewable energy with 10.6% (Ireland and UK have 10.4% and 9.8% respectively).

n Ireland has approximately 3% higher share of population who are at the risk of energy poverty compared to the EU28 countries.

n On average, Ireland has a lower proportion of inhabitants struggling to keep their home warm as compared to EU28 average in any year. However, Ireland has a significantly higher proportion of people struggling to keep their home warm as compared to Netherlands, France and Belgium.

n With the exception of Ireland, where oil is the main source for heating, natural gas is the dominant fuel for heating purposes. Ireland is the only country where coal meets a significant proportion of the heating demand, 19% in 2015.

n The availability of hydropower, natural gas or oil reserves have a very important impact on heat policies of these selected countries.

Turning down the Heat

Dr Donal McManus, CEO of the Irish Council for Social Housing says that housing associations reached record delivery levels in 2019 with the highest number of homes for the sector. Here Dr McManus discusses developments in the sector and the importance of energy efficiency going forward.

What is the background, primary remit and chief mission statement of the ICSH?

The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) was incorporated in 1982 by a growing number of non-profit housing associations interesting in expanding the choices for households in need of social housing. The ICSH acts as the national representative federation of housing associations (also known as approved housing bodies, AHBs) and supports the development of the sector to meet housing and homeless needs.

What are the challenges facing ICSH members in terms of social housing delivery?

There are almost 69,000 households assessed in housing need by local authorities. A high proportion of these comprise smaller one to two-person households presenting in the main due to affordability issues in the private rental sector. On the delivery side, a key factor for ICSH members is ensuring that there are continuous sites made available for new development from the state and the private sector to be able to deliver the

15,000 plus homes that the sector was earmarked to deliver as part of Rebuilding Ireland and now in the new Programme for Government. A current and medium-term challenge is the ability to deliver new homes at the required scale in the context of the restrictions that arose from COVID 19. Reclassification of AHBs by Eurostat is also a key issue.

Tell us about the contribution ICSH members are making towards addressing the social housing challenge.

Housing associations in 2019 delivered 4,129 homes for households on local authority waiting lists, which was 41% of the total social housing. The sector will have up to 40,000 homes owned and managed in 2020, which has increased from around 2,000 homes in the early 1980s. Housing associations previously provided between 20-30% of all new social housing annually and this contribution to meeting local authority needs has now increased. Housing association homes and activities include housing for families, singles, older people, homeless households, people with disabilities and households with mortgage problems.

Clúid Housing Upgrade of Ernedale Heights, Ballyshannon Donegal

1. Rathangan Sheltered Housing, McCaul’s Cottages, Rathangan, Wexford: A willow bed provides secondary water treatment at the outflow from the sewage treatment plant. Underfloor heating is provided by an air to water heat exchange plant located in a central plant room. Residents control room temperatures via individual room sensors. A flat rate weekly charge covers the supply of heat and refuse collection. An auxiliary wiring system and back-up generator provides security and resilience in the event of power outages.

2. Tinteán Housing, Tinteán Willow, Carlow: Built to Passive House standards incorporating excellent standards of air tightness, excellent thermal performance of the building fabric and low energy in use due to the incorporation of renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic panels, and an air to water heat pump. Other sustainable measures include the use of a Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery system and rainwater harvesting on site.The low primary energy requirement of Tinteán Willow, provides protection against fuel and energy price increases in the future.

3. Clúid Housing, Ernedale Heights, Ballyshannon Donegal: A full refurbishment of 11 houses. Over the years, the properties had fallen into varying state of disrepair. Clúid Housing partnered with Donegal County Council to upgrade the houses to A-rated warm and comfortable homes.

4. Iveagh Trust, Annamore Court, Ballyfermot: 70 one-bed high quality apartments. The Trust approached Dublin City Council with a proposal to redevelop and completely regenerate what was a derelict sheltered housing scheme of 38 units. All tenants of Annamore Court scheme were nominated by Dublin City Council from their housing waiting and transfer list, including transfers from existing local authority tenants who have opted to downsize.

5. Respond Housing John’s College Waterford: Having purchased the building in 2007, Respond went through a long planning process in its retrofitting/redesign as a facility for older persons principally. Completed in 2015, the project includes 57 one-bed apartments for independent living – 21 in College House and 36 in College Mews, a group home catering for people with specific needs, communal facilities and a hub Café.

Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath, Roinn Comhshaoil agus Iompair Tionscadail Tuilte agus Rannán um Chreat-treoir Uisce

To date, the most common features in retrofitting of housing association properties have been increased draft proofing, attic insulation, upgrading of heating systems, including replacement of boilers, cavity wall insulation as well some window upgrades.

What is the quality and calibre of existing housing stock in terms of energy efficiency?

Generally, AHB homes would be younger than that of local authorities meaning it would have a higher energy rating, but overall the housing association stock has a mixture of housing quality. A small proportion dates back to the 1890s and includes protected structures which have lower energy efficiency, these are houses and apartments. The sector also includes houses and apartments that were constructed before the 1990 building regulations, and into the 1990s, where there were lower standards of insulation. The sector had another expansionary phase during the Celtic Tiger era from the late 1990s until 2005 which provided better quality homes on average, although there are still instances where problems have arisen. Over 10,000 homes have been provided since 2016, which have much higher energy efficiency.

What measures are housing agencies putting into place to optimise energy efficiency and what is the contribution being made by the sector towards reducing CO2 emissions?

Firstly, on the commissioning and development of new projects, housing associations are seeking to have appropriate initiatives put in place such as air source pumps, photovoltaic panels, triple glazed windows and rainwater harvesting measures as well ensuring that new homes are nZeb rated.

Secondly, on the housing management side, smart metering has been incorporated widely to assist tenants on energy use. Although increasing the supply and types of social housing has been a priority in recent years during the housing and homelessness crisis, inclusion and consideration of energyefficient measures is now a mainstream issue for housing associations commissioning and managing social housing projects. The sector, through the ICSH, has had a working group established comprised of housing associations to further develop retrofitting and energy-efficient measures in the sector. Part of this will be to indicate what will be the reduction in tonnes of carbon emissions contributed by the sector.

Some ICSH members have been active in various regeneration projects with the re-use and repurposing of older buildings where it is more efficient and sustainable than new build.

What is the minimum energy rating required in houses leased by your members from the private sector?

Usually housing associations would seek to have properties that would be at least a B2 rating. However, more recently in line with an improvement in building regulations, housing associations are acquiring homes from the private sector which have been A3 and higher.

Has there been any notable improvement in the quality of new housing schemes being developed by your members from an energy-saving perspective?

Yes, without a doubt. This had initially occurred incrementally, particularly where ICSH members are the client and consequently energy efficiency specifications are built into the design brief for the project. However, there has been a significant increase in the quality of these new build projects in the last five years. These range from the inclusion of PV solar panels to homes being delivered at passive house standard and A BER rating. These are accompanied by the inclusion of some very extensive smart metering. Heat pumps and air to water had become a popular means of heating new homes and this has been more commonly rolled out. The increased building regulation requirements such as with Part L and NZEB have been a key influence in this respect. Finance by SEAI, HFA/EIB, in addition to AHB own resources, have also been important here.

Example of these include Mc Call Cottages in Wexford, Tintean Voluntary Housing Association in Carlow, Iveagh Trust in Dublin, Respond St. Johns College in Waterford and Clúid Housing Association in Ballyshannon (see Pictures)

What are the most common upgrades which take place when retrofitting existing social housing stock?

To date, the most common features in retrofitting of housing associations properties have been increased draft proofing, attic insulation, upgrading of heating systems, including replacement of boilers, cavity wall insulation as well some window upgrades. There have been some examples of the use of ground and air source pumps. For older housing association stock in future, deeper retro fitting measures will have to be incorporated to significantly improve the thermal performance of the building and this will accompany the widespread use of smart metering.

Did you welcome the provision for 50,000 new social housing units referenced in the proposed Programme for Government?

Yes, this was a welcome commitment as it will provide more continuity and certainty from the last programme which also had a similar target. A key issue will be getting back on track after the impact of the COVID 19 restrictions on the construction sector.

Is it preferable for AHB’s to be building and developing their own housing portfolio rather than leasing from the private sector?

Yes, housing associations providing and managing their own stock provides more certainty over the supply and management of new social housing on an ongoing basis than being heavily reliant on the private sector, who have their own priorities. Housing associations are also able to make better and clearer

investment decisions with properties on their own balance sheet with regard to the quality and long-term maintenance of their owned stock for tenant’s benefit. There is a role for long-term leasing and also lease-back arrangements only where it represents real value for money and protects the interests of housing associations and tenants over the long-term.

What are the most significant changes you would anticipate from Government based on a commitment to achieving a 7% annual reduction in CO2 emissions?

In order to achieve the reduction of 7% on CO2 emissions, there has to be a significant behavioural change in all aspects of our lives. The Government can provide incentives to influence behaviour, including the use of materials and products that are proven to lower C02 emissions. This can be used for individuals and organisations. For tenants and owners, there should be a significant change to how energy is consumed and paid for in the future through energy payment plans. The Government can also influence the circular economy within the housing sector which is particularly relevant for the demolition and construction sectors with the reuse of materials.

For the social housing stock, it will mean that in planning housing projects, more consideration will have to be given in reducing the production of embodied carbon in the construction process for delivery of new social housing with various products/materials as well as including measures in the design that subsequently reduce significantly levels of C02, and greenhouse gas production for tenants in using their home. Ensuring homes provided are in walking distance and other more sustainable modes of transport to existing facilities will cut down the need for cars.

In your view, what is the key focus required by Government concerning social housing provision?

For social housing provision, the key objective will be to increase the scale of the stock both from housing associations and local authorities to meet the Government targets. In addition to

increasing the stock of social housing, there should also be the appropriate type and mix of housing options available to the different type of households in need of social housing. In order for these targets and objectives to be achieved, it is key that the supply of affordable serviced land is assembled for residential purposes, including access to more compact brownfield sites.

Closing Dr McManus said: “Of the continued challenges, there will be a need to deep retrofit part of the existing social housing stock, including older local authority flats which require significant upgrade to meet future energy goals. This will require much greater investment. In addition to state support, the EU structural funds as well as the renovation wave and transition fund, which are part of the EU Green Deal, can play a key and lead enabling role here and could draw in non-state finance.

“In addition, housing associations can assist local authorities, as has happened previously, in the regeneration and upgrade of older less energy efficient flats. Translating these EU initiatives into practical programmes in Ireland should be a key objective of in the implementation of Ireland’s Climate Action Plan and a procurement process has to be fit for purpose for new types of contracting arrangements.”

In order for government targets and objectives to be achieved, it is key that the supply of affordable serviced land is assembled for residential purposes including access to more compact brownfield sites.

Tinteán Housing, Tinteán Willow, Carlow

Leaders of the Pack

Brendan Cunningham - Head of Investment Planning, Clúid Housing

In the mid-nineties, the then Minister for Housing, Michael Smith decided to emulate social housing policies which were increasingly being adopted in the UK and Europe and enhance the role of approved housing bodies (AHBs) in the provision of social and affordable housing in Ireland.

The principal motivation related to the enhanced levels of professional expertise which AHBs typically bring to bear in the sector. Today there are some 270 active housing associations which exert an ever-increasing influence in the industry and provide over 27,000 housing tenancies around the country.

The contribution of Ireland’s AHBs has been particularly

evident as the nation struggles to accommodate an alarming escalation in the numbers of citizens in need of housing support in the wake of the financial crisis. Over the last decade, the number of people on local authority waiting lists has soared to almost 90,000 and AHBs have provided 25% of all new social housing in the country.

In addition, their mark has been felt across many other areas of social housing and they have contributed to reducing the stigma associated with social housing, elevating quality standards, boosting community integration, improving construction standards and property maintenance and

establishing more effective tenant engagement policies.

One of the most influential AHBs to emerge is Clúid Housing. Clúid, which last year celebrated its 25th anniversary was among the earliest of the first wave of housing agencies to establish a presence in Ireland and was initially located in offices above the Jesuit Centre on Sherrard Street in Dublin’s north inner city.

A social business which pursues an unashamedly entrepreneurial approach to social housing delivery, the word ‘Clúid’ literally translates as the “the seat beside the fire”. The agency operates a sustainable long-term business model and any property vacated by tenants is immediately reallocated to another applicant on the waiting list. Clúid is focused on building a substantial, high quality social housing portfolio which is assiduously maintained, and it remains adamantly opposed to selling any of its properties.

CEO, Brian O’Gorman was the first employee hired by Clúid and under his stewardship, the organisation has grown to become the largest AHB in Ireland with a portfolio of over 7500 affordable, high quality homes. The CEO places considerable emphasis on recruitment and in ensuring Clúid is staffed with skilled and committed professionals and he has established a strong, multidisciplinary team which has been critical to its impressive growth.

A multi-award-winning organisation, Clúid Housing continually reinvests in upgrading and maintaining its housing stock to the highest standards. While much of the current debate around social housing is focused on the need to ramp up delivery, Clúid’s Head of Investment Planning, Brendan Cunningham argues that the need to maintain and upgrade existing housing stock and achieve optimum levels of quality, comfort and energy efficiency is equally urgent.

A formerAssociate Director with a leading architectural firm, Cunningham joined Clúid in 2011 and the scope of his responsibilities escalated sharply as the organization set about building one of the largest social housing portfolios in the state. “We started off 25 years ago with no properties and now we have over 7500 properties which house over 20,000 tenants,” he says. “We also plan on delivering an additional 3000 homes before the end of 2020.”

Brendan Cunningham Head of Investment Planning, Property Services

“Ultimately, the better the property is the easier it is for us to maintain and the better the energy rating, the better it is for the tenants and for the services we deliver. We need to strike the right balance between delivering new schemes and maintaining our existing properties to the optimum standards.”

“That is a substantial portfolio and it needs to be expertly managed. At Clúid, we are focused on scaling-up and delivering more properties to people in need. We use a combination of strategies to acquire properties, including build, buy and lease. Providing a mix of houses gives us more control and ensures that we are not overly reliant on a single avenue of delivery.”

Since its inception, Clúid has garnered an impressive array of awards for its housing schemes and it has also achieved recognition for the various operational and support aspects of its service. While Cunningham is gratified by acknowledgement of the quality of the schemes and the services which Clúid is delivering, he says that the ultimate goal is to deliver properties which are fit-forpurpose and which tenants are proud to live in.

“I think the awards follow afterwards, as a consequence of our efforts to deliver the best possible housing schemes for our tenants,” he says.

There are a number of developments of which Cunningham is particularly proud, notably Killarney Court in Dublin’s north inner city, formerly the notorious St Joseph’s Mansions. Comprising 105 homes, the scheme was first constructed in 1935 and handed over to Clúid by Dublin City Council in the late 1990’s before being extensively refurbished in 2001.

“I was immediately impressed when I first saw Killarney Court, it’s an oasis in Dublin city centre. People really like the development, there’s a really good community there and it sets a very high standard in terms of the type of social housing we aim to deliver.

Other widely praised schemes managed by Clúid Housing include Broome Lodge in Cabra, the Leeside Apartments in Cork, Murrough in Galway, Friary Walk in Kilkenny, and many others.

Two years ago, Clúid began a highly anticipated €21m regeneration of St. Mary’s Mansions flat complex in Dublin’s North East inner city. The flat complex was built by Dublin Corporation nearly 70 years ago and required complete refurbishment to bring it up to current standards.

Now nearing completion, the scheme will provide high quality social housing to 80 local families and single people. The

project has been financed through a combination of loans from the Housing Finance Agency (HFA), European Investment Bank (EIB) and financial support from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

According to Cunningham, the refurbishment of St. Mary’s Mansions represents a prime example of the tenant engagement approach spearheaded by the Clúid chief, Brian Gorman.

“Our CEO is strongly committed to reducing the stigma which continues to exist around social housing and he believes that involving the community and prospective tenants in any new scheme we undertake builds a greater sense of inclusion and provides the best outcome,” he says.

“Instead of us saying; ‘we think this is the right design’, we liaise with the tenants and we ask them their thoughts. We don’t claim to be experts in everything and by working with our tenants and all the partners associated with a project, we deliver the best product possible. Generally, tenants are very eager to contribute. We have adopted an open-door policy which has served us well and we have just established our own resident advisory group which will help to bed down and formalise this approach.”

Energy efficiency is also a key focus for Clúid and an increasingly important issue for tenants, including the new residents of St. Mary’s, according to Cunningham.

“The tenants had particular concerns with some of our initial

proposals, so we met them, sat them down and had some very forthright and challenging discussions. Finally, we met somewhere in the middle and I am happy to say that all the tenants are now delighted with what we have been able to deliver.”

In recent years regulations in relation to home energy and power generation have been updated significantly and the quality and calibre of new developments has improved immeasurably. To optimise its planning and maintenance framework, Clúid has drafted a long-term plan to cater for the upgrading and maintenance of its extensive property portfolio over the next thirty years and beyond.

“There are a lot of elements that roll into a programme like this. There are the regular servicing requirements, there is planning for more substantial works and determining when is the appropriate time to think about going into the fabric of the building. Essentially, the focus is on assessing where we can upgrade and improve our portfolio properties and ensuring that timely maintenance is carried out in order to avoid more significant problems down the road.

“Take a scheme where oil boilers, which made sense 25 years ago are still in place. The first thing we do before we go to change or upgrade those homes is to assess the extent of the impact we can make in terms of improving the energy efficiency of the property. First, we have to explore the options available

Clúid Works Colin Moynihan

to us, do we do nothing and leave the property as it is? Does the property require a deep energy retrofit? Do we need to install new heat pumps or highperformance windows and doors?

“We carry out a programme of stock conditioning surveys which essentially involves our team carrying out routine assessments on the overall quality of our housing stock. This requires regular site visits by our housing team who undertake a thorough inspection of properties. There are multiple issues to consider in the process and we have retrofitted a number of properties in recent years through the SEAI’s ‘Better Energy Communities Programme’ as a result of issues we uncovered through our surveys.”

In the last two years, Clúid has invested over €3.6m on upgrades to over 300 properties. Describing it as a relatively intensive programme, Cunningham says that it largely entails upgrading the lighting to low energy lighting; upgrading the insulation to the walls and attic; replacing poor performing storage heating with new ‘Heat Pump’ technology; and installing high performance windows and doors.

“That’s brought some of our properties from an E or an F to a B2 or B1 rating,” says Cunningham.

It’s great for us and fantastic for the tenants.

“As Part of the agency’s 2019 – 2022 development strategy, Clúid has identified the need to incorporate a comprehensive greening strategy into its overall corporate strategy. According to Cunningham this entails identifying areas across the entirety of its operations which can be made more sustainable and energy efficient.

“While much of the current debate around social is focused on the need to ramp up delivery,

Clúid’s Head of Investment Planning, Brendan Cunningham argues that the need to maintain and upgrade existing housing stock and achieve optimum levels of quality, comfort and energy efficiency is equally urgent.”

“We can only deliver this by involving all our stakeholders and that includes our tenants, our staff and our partners. Most importantly, it requires commitment from our team on the ground and we can’t deliver this without their effort and commitment,” he says.

In order to advance this green agenda Clúid recently completed appointed an Energy and Environmental Manager.

“We’re really looking forward to getting stuck into implementing our greening strategy and we have an excellent team which will support the Energy and Environmental Manager to deliver on an ambitious agenda,” added Cunningham.

“It’s really about helping to reduce our overall carbon footprint.”

Clúid works closely with the country’s local authorities in determining the locations most in need of housing and most appropriate for accommodating new housing stock. While the degree of need is the ultimate arbitrator, Cunningham says

that considerable care is exerted at the selection stage in order to learn from past experience where social housing was built with little or no supports for tenants. Having established that a need exists in a particular area, Clúid assesses whether the site would best serve general needs or age-friendly housing.

“Our housing team help to determine the degree of need in an area and in the case of an existing building, they will also be involved in carrying out the refurbishment and upgrades. In these situations, you’re looking at a number of issues, how old the property is, its overall condition, the works that need to be carried out and any particular fire or safety hazards which may exist. In particular, we want to try and identify those safety issues early on, so they can be addressed before we move tenants in.

“We are very focussed on developing a portfolio of high-quality homes and I’m very proud of our performance in terms of maintaining these properties to a very high standard. We recently published a dedicated Maintenance Guide which sets out a lot of criteria in relation to how we can best deal with the different issues which typically arise.

“Asset management, is a bit of a black art. We want to maintain the properties to the highest standards possible, but we also have to ensure the best use of our resources. A computer might say the boilers ought to be replaced after ten years but if they are working well, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to rush in and replace them. It’s a waste of very valuable resources.

“Ultimately, the better the property is the easier it is for us to maintain and the better the energy rating, the better it is for the tenants and for the services we deliver. We need to strike the right balance between delivering new schemes and maintaining our existing properties to the optimum standards.”

Despite the challenge of responding to the unprecedented number of citizens in need of social housing, Cunningham remains optimistic

“We can only control what we can control and what we can control we do to our utmost. That is why we deliver the quality schemes we do and why we have these programmes of upgrading. We’re setting high targets for ourselves and we’re going to do our utmost to deliver on these.

“We’re optimistic and if we weren’t, we wouldn’t be setting such a high bar for ourselves in terms of delivery. I think that our fellow AHBs are of the same view, everyone wants to increase delivery, reduce the homeless numbers and get people out of hotels. Everybody wants to do that. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

Responding to Housing Needs

With a vision that every family and individual in Ireland will have high-quality housing as part of a vibrant and caring community, Respond has been working countrywide for over 38 years.

Respond was established in 1982 in Waterford City in response to issues of housing insecurity and homelessness, especially for young families and older people living in the city. The first estate, Francis Court, officially opened on 4th October 1983. “We firmly believe that quality homes in areas where people want to live are central to improving people’s lives and enhancing the overall health and well-being of society,” explains Niamh Randall, Spokesperson for Respond. “We are proactively responding to the housing and homelessness crisis, providing real on-the-ground solutions and we are working hard to identify ways to support people to move out of homelessness into secure homes quickly.”

Respond has built nearly 6,000 properties including homes, community buildings and group homes. They own and manage 4,526 homes across the 26 counties in Ireland where approximately 9,500 tenants live. Since May 2018, Respond has commenced construction on 1,531 new homes on various sites across the country. Respond is an Approved Housing

Body with an in-house multi-disciplinary development team comprising of chartered architects, quantity surveyors, planners, project managers, clerk of works and technicians. This development team deliver high-quality homes, creating sustainable and safe living environments that will transform people’s lives and represent value for money. Respond is also the largest provider of community childcare in the country with 17 early childhood care and education services. They also provide daycare services for older people, refugee resettlement services and family support services. In response to the homelessness crisis of recent years, they have opened six homeless services for families in Dublin and Limerick. These services provide temporary emergency accommodation with 24/7 wraparound support. “We don’t just build homes, “ Randall says, “we want to ensure that these homes are part of wider communities that support each other. Our Strategic Plan focuses on building homes and improving lives.”

Market Green, Knockgriffin, Midleton, Co. Cork

In the 2008 recession, construction in Ireland came to a virtual standstill so we must ensure that this does not happen again.

KEY SCHEMES COMPLETED AND IN PROGRESS:

Northwood Avenue, Ballymun Cross, Santry, Dublin

The development of 55 homes at Northwood Avenue comprises of 15 x 1-bed apartments, 30 x 2-bed apartments and 10 x 3-bed apartments built for general needs housing. The homes are located at Santry Demesne, near Ballymun town centre and are situated a short distance away from Dublin city centre. The homes come with parking and two private garden areas. Respond acquired these homes through the Capital Advanced Leasing Facility from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government funding as well as private finance from the Housing Finance Agency, and in partnership with Fingal County Council under Rebuilding Ireland.

Allendale, Clonsilla, Dublin 15

The development consisting of 28 homes is currently nearing completion in Allendale. It comprises of 28 x 2-bed apartments divided into two 3-4 storey apartment blocks built for general needs housing. The homes are located in the townlands of Phibblestown and Clonsilla close to Blanchardstown. Respond is acquiring these homes through the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), the Capital Advanced Leasing Facility from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government funding and private finance from the Housing Finance Agency, in partnership with Fingal County Council under Rebuilding Ireland.

Northwood Avenue, Ballymun Cross, Santry, Dublin

Northwood Avenue, Ballymun Cross, Santry, Dublin

Allendale, Clonsilla, Dublin 15

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE

The housing system is vulnerable to external budgetary and financial impacts and changes to existing internal processes. Respond recognises that there is scope for innovative solutions in areas such as land management, access to social housing finance and barriers to construction that can be implemented within the current frameworks to improve social housing supply. Individual organisations dealing with the impact of these changes cannot solve these issues alone. Randall stresses that housing and decent accommodation in the areas where people want to live is central to improving people’s lives and enhancing the health and wellbeing of society. “We are committed to developing vibrant and diverse communities, empowering individuals and families to reach their full potential,” she says. To this end, there are several things the State working with AHBs, can to do to help achieve these aims:

(P&A) allocation. This is to ensure the scheme keeps pace with the growing number of applications as capacity increases within the sector.

n Partnership and collaboration are key with local authorities, the Department of Housing, the HSE, the Housing Finance Agency and the Housing Agency alongside other statutory agencies. These bodies are essential to the work of Respond in achieving their goals for the delivery of additional social housing and much needed services.

n It is critical we return to construction quickly following the Covid-19 crisis while recognising the primary importance of public health concerns. By investing in social housing, rather than cutting back at this crucial time, we are more likely to recover quickly and to provide much-needed housing to those who need it.

n The reclassification of Tier 3 AHBs onto Government balance sheet is a significant risk to social housing supply and they should be reclassified back off balance sheet.

Randall feels that social and affordable housing offering lifetime tenancies or ‘forever homes’ at a more reasonable cost is the solution to the housing and homelessness crisis. A reduction in the use of HAP properties would bring savings to the State she says, which should be ring-fenced for social housing delivery. “HAP is expensive, insecure and brings little long-term benefit to the tenant or the State which is paying high market rents for the properties. Most families and individuals want to settle down in a neighbourhood and have a sense of continuity, especially for their children. The private rental market does not represent a long-term solution to those who need affordable, secure homes.”

According to Randall, policy changes that would prove transformative are as follows:

n Maintain capital budget for social housing construction specifically for Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) allocation and the associated Payment and Availability

n Introduce a National Affordable/Intermediate Rental Scheme to be delivered by Approved Housing Bodies and Local Authorities to address the housing needs of intermediate households who can’t afford to buy a home but won’t qualify for social housing.

n The development of a time-lined action plan to explore all options such as moving Approved Housing Bodies (AHB’s) off balance sheet to avoid negative long-term impacts on social housing supply.

n Social and affordable housing offering lifetime tenancies or ‘forever homes’, at a more reasonable cost is the sustainable solution to the housing and homelessness crisis. The State must reduce the reliance on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and leasing, investing instead in social and affordable housing which become long-term assets.

Looking to the future Randall says that responding to COVID-19 will be a challenge across the sector and indeed across the entire country. “We recognise the primacy of public health concerns and the importance of adherence to public health guidelines as we work towards recovery,” she says. “In the 2008 recession, construction in Ireland came to a virtual standstill, so we must ensure that this does not happen again. Capital budgets must be maintained, adopting a countercyclical approach so the impact of Covid-19 on the delivery of much-needed homes is limited.

“We have a sectoral challenge for AHBs which need to be reclassified back off government balance sheet, otherwise there will be long term negative impacts on social housing supply. It is key that we maintain the capital budget for social housing building specifically for Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) allocation and the associated Payment and Availability (P&A) allocation. This will ensure the scheme keeps pace with the growing number of applications as capacity increases within the sector.”

Allendale, Clonsilla, Dublin 15

RESPOND HAS BUILT ALMOST 6,000 PROPERTIES INCLUDING HOMES, COMMUNITY BUILDINGS AND GROUP HOMES. THEY OWN AND MANAGE 4,526 HOMES ACROSS 26 COUNTIES IN IRELAND WHERE APPROXIMATELY 9,500 TENANTS LIVE. SINCE MAY 2018 RESPOND HAS COMMENCED CONSTRUCTION ON 1,531 NEW HOMES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

Market Green, Knockgriffin, Midleton, Co. Cork

The development of 42 homes at Market Green comprises of 18 x 2 bed houses and 24 x 3-bed houses, all built for general needs housing. The first phase of 20 homes was completed and acquired by Respond in Q4-2019, and the remaining homes are scheduled for completion in 2020. The scheme is situated near to Midleton Town Centre, to the west of Market Green. Respond acquired these homes through the Capital Advanced Leasing Facility from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government funding together with private finance from the Housing Finance Agency, in partnership with Cork.

High Park, Grace Park Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9

This development is to be constructed within the grounds of Respond’s Dublin offices in Drumcondra and will comprise of 101 homes with a mix of 1 bed, 2 bed and 3 bedroomed apartments with communal facilities. The scheme, currently at tender stage, was designed by Respond’s in-house development team and planning was secured through An Bord Pleanála SHD (Strategic Housing Delivery) process. The homes will be built for general needs housing for persons with disabilities and older persons, and will be funded through Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), Capital Advanced Leasing Facility and private finance from the Housing Finance Agency in partnership with Dublin City Council under Rebuilding Ireland.

Market Green, Knockgriffin, Midleton, Co. Cork

Market Green, Knockgriffin, Midleton, Co. Cork

Home Makers

Glenveagh Properties PLC, listed on Euronext Dublin and the London Stock Exchange, is a leading Irish homebuilder with a focus on strategically located developments throughout Ireland.

The company strives to design and build high-quality residential schemes focusing on the creation of successful communities that encourage a sense of place, are resilient to climate change and are environmentally sensitive places where residents can live sustainably. To achieve this the company incorporates a range of features into developments including water-efficient and energy-efficient fittings and fixtures, airsource heat pumps, MHRV, PV panels, recycling facilities, cycle storage and electric car charging points.

“The environmental sustainability of the housing that Glenveagh Properties PLC provides is at the forefront of every business decision, and we have worked tirelessly on creating a more environmentally friendly product which begins in the office and finishes on site,” explains CEO Stephen Garvey. “We have commenced the implementation of ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System which has allowed us to focus on key areas such as energy & carbon, climate change, water, waste, drainage and surface water runoff, ecology and green infrastructure, responsibility sourcing and noise and air quality assessments.”

Garvey says that with climate change it is anticipated that we will experience more extreme weather conditions, including wetter winters, hotter summers and more frequent heatwaves. To this end, Glenveagh Properties are focused on addressing the risks most relevant to the design of their developments such as flooding, water shortage and overheating. “We design in several features to increase resilience to these impacts, such as sustainable drainage systems, rainwater harvesting and measures to help prioritise thermal efficiency. As part of our approach to reduce the effects of climate change, we also incorporate green infrastructures such as open space, parks, gardens and living roofs. We are also mitigating against excessive land use by innovating our scheme layouts and housing typologies to provide for increased densities at an affordable price point for our customers.”

Glenveagh Properties adopt a robust approach to sustainably planning their developments in accordance with best practice. In doing so they ensure that their schemes contribute to and enhance the natural environment by

minimising and mitigating any impact on biodiversity. “We believe that our developments can accommodate a quality space for our communities while coexisting with ecological habitats, therefore promoting biodiversity,” adds Garvey.

All houses and apartments delivered by the Group in 2019 had a BER rating of A3 or better, while using energy-efficient appliances and renewable/low energy technology. Garvey says that as timber frame has the lowest energy consumption and the lowest carbon dioxide emissions, it is the most environmentally friendly construction method. “Currently 70% of our homes are constructed using timber frame which dramatically reduces the carbon footprint of our new homes,” he says. Timber frame is one of the most sustainable forms of construction as the timber is both renewable and continues to sequester carbon for the life of the development. Manufacturing is an inherent component of the timber frame process, therefore displacing inefficient on-site activities to a safe, clean, predictable environment protected from adverse weather events. “This reduces waste, site traffic and construction laydown area while the tolerances and quality

achieved during manufacturing ensure our homes meet and exceed our thermal efficiency expectations, beyond NZEB standards,” he adds.

A number of environmentally friendly initiatives for the construction phase have been implemented by senior management which includes the use of electric vehicles, tracking all construction waste, risk assessments for pollution prevention, water silos to reduce water consumption, just-intime deliveries to reduce idling time and minimal to no excess packaging on material deliveries. Glenveagh Properties use class-leading technology (3-D drone surveys, robotic excavators, etc.) to profile all site ground conditions, therefore mitigating import and export of site material. Their efforts in providing sustainable energy-efficient homes are also applied to the construction process, therefore reducing the environmental footprint of our operations.

Closing Garvey says: “We are very proud of the changes we have made across the company and we intend to replicate and improve on this in 2020 and future periods.”

It Starts at Home

Reducing the carbon footprint of of our homes is a vital step towards creating a more sustainable society

A quarter of Ireland’s CO² emissions are generated by inefficient housing stock, according to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland which says that as many as 1.5m Irish homes are considered energy inefficient and require upgrade work between now and 2050.

Over a million homes in the country have a Building Energy Rating (BER certificate which indicates a buildings energy performance) of C or under and this issue is even more acute in

the private rental market where 55% of private rented dwellings have a BER of D or lower. In addition, 98% of our home heating is provided from fossil fuels and Irish homes emit almost 60% more CO² than the average European home.

Unsurprisingly, upgrading our buildings so that they use less energy has been identified as one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce our greenhouse-gas emissions.

Significant progress in this regard was achieved in November

last year when new building standards were introduced for all new residential dwellings. The regulations are designed to make all new homes 70% more energy efficient when compared to 2005 performance requirements. They now require a BER of A2. New dwellings with this high level of energy performance are called Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB).

The improvements are delivered in part through improved building airtightness combined with more effective ventilation systems in new builds. In addition, energy used by a NZEB must be from renewable sources “to a very significant extent”, including energy from renewable sources produced on site or nearby.

As part of the plan, there will be a ban on installation of oil boilers from 2022 while gas boilers will be prohibited in all new dwellings from 2025. Double-glazing windows will need to be replaced by triple glazing, while mechanical ventilation will become the norm in most dwellings.

A significant feature of the updated regulations is the requirement for “major renovations or extensions” to on an existing home, to be brought up to a B2 standard insofar as this is “technically, functionally and economically feasible”. A project is classed as a major renovation when more than 25 per cent of the surface area of the existing building’s thermal envelope undergoes renovation.

Thermal envelope refers to the entire surface area of a building through which heat can escape to the external environment or the ground and includes all heat loss areas of walls, windows, floors and roof. General works such as painting, re-plastering, rendering, re-slating and cavity wall insulation are not considered major renovation works.

While the Government accepts that the regulation is resulting in “small increases in overall costs with each incremental change” made, it insists that the additional costs

A typical home loses up to 30% of its heat through the walls and more if they’re not properly insulated.

Grants of €400 are currently available for both attic and cavity wall insulation while a grant of up to €2400 is available for dry lining.

External insulation grants of up to as much as €6,000 are also provided.

will be recouped in energy savings over time.

In addition, the SEAI provides a range of grants to help homeowners improve the energy performance of their homes and will assist towards the cost of installing insulation and for a variety of sustainable technologies designed to reduce your homes carbon footprint. They also provide assistance in obtaining a BER assessment.

Insulation is a key consideration in any plan designed to make your home more energy efficient. A typical home loses up to 30% of its heat through the walls and more if they’re not properly insulated. Grants of €400 are currently available for both attic and cavity wall insulation while a grant of up to €2400 is available for dry lining. External insulation grants of up to as much as €6,000 are also provided. In addition, a grant of €700 is available towards the cost of installing heating control upgrades which will further improve the energy profile of your home although not all homes are suitable for this measure.

Increasing numbers of homes are installing domestic solar PV systems consisting of a number of solar panels mounted on the roof or on special brackets in the garden which connect to the electrical loads in the home. Grants of €700 are available for each kW of solar PV installed, up to a maximum of 2kW.

Solar thermal will provide up to 60% of all your hot water requirements and grants of €1200 are available for this purpose. Grants are also available for heat pump technology and range from €600 for an air-to-air system, up to €3,500 for ground source, exhaust air and water-to-water systems. If three upgrades are completed, the grant value will be increased by €300 with a further €100 added towards a fourth measure.

The SEAI recently closed applications for a deep retrofit pilot programme which was launched to investigate the challenges and opportunities of deep retrofit in Ireland and provided homeowners up to 50% funding to upgrade their home to an A rating.

A deep retrofit takes a whole-house approach to energy

ENERGY SAVING TIPS

Going green and making eco-friendly living a lifestyle choice for yourself and future generations is not only hugely important for the planet, but it can also save on household bills. There are many ways we can make more sustainable switches at home, and it all adds up.

Switch to a green energy provider

One of the simplest and quickest ways to make a difference to the way you live is to switch to a green energy provider. All of the electricity you use through a 100% renewable tariff is effectively zero carbon.

Heating systems

A 93% efficient boiler will save about €600 a year in fuel. If you have a boiler with an efficiency of 80% or under it is worth considering replacing it with one of the modern condensing boilers which have efficiencies of up to 97%. This will improve the BER considerably.

Heating Controls

Improving the heating control system can reduce the BER quite significantly. There are a variety of possibilities depending on the type of heating system present, e.g. for boiler systems the ideal is to have time & temperature control.

Insulation

Increase insulation in walls, attic and floors and top up existing insulation

Windows

Replace or seal old windows. Single-glazed windows tend to lose a lot of heat. In many cases, draught stripping will improve this, but secondary glazing or complete wind replace can return highest overall savings. Double glazing would reduce heat loss through the windows by 1/3rd and low emissivity triple glazing would reduce heat loss by over 2/3rds.

Light up with LED

Not only do LED lightbulbs last up to 15 times longer than ordinary bulbs, CFLs use 80% less electricity. Remember turn off lights when they are not required.

Controlled Ventilation System

Whilst ventilation is necessary, excessive ventilation can result in energy wastage. Controlled vents should be installed in every room. Cooker hoods and small extract fans should be installed to allow for controlled removal of moist air from kitchens and bathrooms. Draught proofing may be applied to doors and windows.

Recycle

Recycling is now easier than ever, and your local authority website will be able to share details of local recycling policies and what’s being done in your area.

Switching off

Leaving the TV on standby should be a thing of the past. It wastes needless energy and really increases your bills. It’s simple: if it’s not being used, switch it off! The same applies to lights, heating and any appliance. Having a smart meter in the house, in clear view, is also a clever way to track which electricity sources are using the most energy.

Calor BioLPG.

Renewable energy for homes and businesses.

Made from sustainably sourced renewable vegetable oils, residues and wastes, BioLPG only from Calor, can cut carbon emissions by at least 50%, helping you to meet your sustainability targets. Identical in use and performance to regular LPG, it’s a small choice that changes everything, creating a cleaner environment for everyone.

See more at calorgas.ie

in the home and involves a wide-range of energy efficient measures being implemented simultaneously. The solutions typically include wall and attic insulation, replacing windows and doors, installing mechanical heat ventilation and renewable energy technologies in the home. The investment required to bring a sub-C BER up to an A rating is generally in the order of €40,000 to €50,000.

GET A BETTER BER

BER ratings are required for any existing buildings presented for sale or rent, regardless of the age of the building. BER is a valuation that measures the energy efficiency of commercial and residential buildings in Ireland and is represented by a scale of A to G, where A1 is the most energy efficient rating and G is the least. A difference of just a few grades on a BER can have a significant impact on a home’s heating bill. If you are selling or renting a property, you are legally obliged to provide a valid BER to prospective buyers and tenants. This also applies to property advertisements which must display the property’s BER. Equally, if you are buying or renting a property, the seller or landlord is required to provide you with a valid rating. The higher the home’s rating the less money it will cost to heat.

Even if you aren’t looking to sell or rent, achieving a lower BER will reduce your energy bills and make an appreciable difference to disposable income. A difference of just a few grades in your BER can have a substantial impact on your home heating bill, so it is important to know how energy efficient your home is. Most houses built before 1994 will have a D1 rating or lower, unless they have been upgraded. However, upgrading can save you thousands of euro in heating bills over 10 years.

A BER is valid for 10 years as long as no significant structural changes are made to the property that might affect the rating. A provisional BER can be made on the basis of a property’s plans but this is only valid for 2 years.

According to the SEAI, the average household spends between €1,600 and €2,000 per year on heat before energy upgrades are carried out. The cost to heat a home with an A3 rating is reduced to around €500 providing approximate annual savings of between €1,000 and €1,500 a year. Research from the ESRI also points out that an A-rated home can have a significant impact in terms of increasing the value of the property.

Cleaner Choices

Calor – helping off grid businesses make cleaner energy choices

Energy and sustainability are hot topics for Irish businesses and organisations. The drive to reduce energy use and to choose cleaner fuels, while still maintaining a secure flexible supply, is leading more and more companies to a range of lower carbon gas solutions. One of Ireland’s longest established energy companies, Calor, is helping Irish businesses to achieve sustainability goals and emissions savings.

As an energy supplier with a strong sustainability agenda, Calor welcomes the acknowledgement that the government’s Green Public Procurement strategy aims to ensure that public money is invested in sustainable goods and services and it has the potential to be a critical tool for delivering across a range of priority areas including climate change, resource and energy efficiency and air quality.

The transition to a low-carbon economy brings opportunities for clean technology growth, job creation and competitive advantage in FDI, as well as wider benefits including improved standard of living, clean air and better health. Calor recognises that if Ireland is to maximise these opportunities and deliver the benefits, a whole of government approach is critical, together with strong collaboration with energy suppliers, industry and local communities.

Calor has been an energy provider to rural homes, businesses and communities across Ireland for over 80 years and provides a range of lower carbon gas products including Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), BioLPG – a 100% renewable form of LPG, and most recently, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

LPG is a versatile energy source, used to power a wide range of applications including water heating, automotive,

industrial processes as well as cooking and heating. It is a lower carbon option compared to other fossil fuels delivering 11% carbon savings compared to heating oil.

Calor BioLPG is 100% renewable LPG which is created from a mix of sustainably sourced renewable vegetable oils and waste materials. It is fully traceable and is certified renewable. It is identical in use and performance to conventional LPG, is transported and stored in the same tanks, and can be used in the same boilers and appliances. BioLPG delivers at least 50% and up to an impressive 90% carbon saving compared to other fossil fuels. *

Both LPG and BioLPG are also low in other emissions such as Nitrous Oxide (NOx) and Sulphur Dioxide (SOx), both of which do significant damage to local air quality.

In 2019 Calor introduced LNG in Ireland, delivering the benefits of natural gas to off-grid businesses. Calor LNG, which is aimed at the very large energy user and the transport sector, delivers a carbon emission saving of 25% when compared to heavy fuel oil. LNG also delivers significantly lower particulate emissions (-99%), NOx (-70%) and SOx (80%) – helping to improve air quality. Installation of LNG will open the door to future installation of BioLNG, a renewable form of LNG.

With sustainability at the heart of their business strategy, Calor are aiming to make it a lot easier for Ireland’s off-grid businesses to make cleaner energy choices.

* BioLPG reduces GHG by at least 50% and up to 90% against set values of fossil fuels (fossil fuel comparators), in accordance with the Renewable Energy Directive. Actual figure is dependent upon input feedstock.

WE ARE POWERING A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE

By replacing high-carbon electricity with low-carbon and renewable alternatives such as wind, solar and biomass, ESB is helping to put Ireland on a path to a cleaner, brighter energy future. And with each step forward we take, you take one too.

Learn how you can be part of a brighter future powered by clean electricity at esb.ie/brighter-future

Our pledge to Do More.

Over the last number of years at AIB we have been working to build a more sustainable business.

We’ve invested in wind energy projec ts, launched a €5 billion Climate Ac tion Fund and created a Green Mor tgage.

And yet, it ’ s still not enough.

And we will keep telling ourselves that ever y day.

AIB alone is not the solution to climate change, but we are doing every thing we can to be a par t of it.

AIB. We pledge to DO MORE.