IBEC, the group that represents Irish business, published a comprehensive new review of commercial rates and water charges across the country, which found that businesses continue to pay boom time rates, despite the fact that many remain under intense financial pressure. The report highlights a continuing divergence in the cost of water charges across different … Read more
The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government invites comments from interested parties on the implementation in Ireland of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (known as the Aarhus Convention) in Ireland. Context of this Consultation … Read more
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has released a report titled ‘Tackling climate change through livestock: A global assessment of emissions and mitigation opportunities,’ [pdf, 3.79MB] which outlines how implementation of best practices and technologies could help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the livestock sector by up to 30%. The report … Read more
Fergus O’Dowd, the Minister of State with responsibility for Natural Resources, has published a report by Indecon International Consultants assessing the value of Ireland’s mining and mineral exploration sector. In 2012, Ireland was Europe’s largest producer of zinc metal in concentrate (32% of all European zinc mine output, inclusive of the Russian Federation) and the … Read more
An innovative new way of treating dairy wastewater and whey could cut water and energy consumption dramatically, saving the food industry millions of euros. The EU-funded project REWAGEN (‘Electrochemical water treatment system in the dairy industry with hydrogen recovery and electricity production’) is currently developing a pilot plant to prototype the innovative treatment. “The project … Read more
IBEC has been Ireland’s national coordinator of the European Business Awards for the Environment (www.ebae.eu ) since 2000. The Ibec Environment Awards 2013/2014 will take place in Ibec, Baggot Street 29 November 2013. This will be an opportunity to recognise the achievements of Irish companies that combine innovation, financial savings and environmental concerns and to promote … Read more
Flat-fee water charges are still common in parts of Europe. Such schemes, where users pay a fee regardless of the volume used, do not encourage efficient behaviour, either in households or agriculture, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). The EEA study, ‘Assessment of cost recovery through water pricing’, considers water … Read more
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte T.D., today announced that his Department has sought tenders for the provision of expert advice on the “fitness-for-purpose” of the current oil and gas fiscal terms. On the 9th of July last, in the context of the conclusion of the Dáil debate on Offshore Oil and … Read more
Trough a public consultation, the European Commission wishes to collect stakeholders’ views on the most effective support measures for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to become more resource efficient and sell internationally green products and which actors are best placed to help SMEs in the process. Today only few European SMEs extend their green … Read more
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, today launched a public consultation process on the draft report of the environmental analysis of Food Harvest 2020, and the preparation of an agriculture sectoral low carbon roadmap. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine appointed independent external consultants in April 2012 to … Read more