At a recent meeting of Irish and international ocean energy experts, John Mullins, chief executive of Bord Gais, spoke of his concern that not enough investment and planning is being put into developing Ireland’s ocean energy resources, an industry which could create up to 70,000 jobs and deliver a cumulative benefit of €120 billion to … Read more
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with special responsibility for Fisheries and Forestry Sean Connick, TD, is discussing sustainable forestry and forest carbon sequestration with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security today, Thursday, 13 January. The meeting is part of the Committee’s ongoing examination of the … Read more
In its drive towards a low-carbon economy, the EU must strive towards more ambitious CO2 reduction targets while being cautious about the risk of decreasing its energy competitiveness in the immediate future, said the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in its opinion on Energy Strategy 2011-2020 adopted at its December plenary session. The opinion … Read more
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security will discuss sustainable forestry and carbon off-setting with a number of forestry groups at its meeting today, Wednesday 24th November. Among those attending the meeting are: John McCarthy, None SoHardy Nurseries; Brendan Lacy, Irish Timber Growers Association; and Pat Hennessy, chairman of IFA Farm Forestry … Read more
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Ireland 2010 Report shows a significant increase in companies taking part. The report, principally sponsored by the NTR Foundation and prepared by KPMG, concludes that the number and quality of responses to the project shows climate change issues are now firmly established on Irish boardroom agendas. “Businesses increasingly recognise that … Read more
The European Commission has welcomed the adoption of the Security of Gas Supply Regulation by the European Parliament. The new legislation will strengthen the coordination between Member States and ensure that effective action will be taken in advance to prevent and mitigate the consequences of gas supply disruptions. The regulation is a major step forward … Read more
At the recent High Level Meeting of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) in Vienna, EU Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs and EU Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger launched the Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP) together with the African Union and announced a planned contribution of Eur5 million to start the programme. This programme of cooperation … Read more
The Confederation of British Industry has called on the UK Government to deliver key energy and planning reforms within six months, or risk undermining emissions targets and energy security. Launching a new report; ‘No time to lose: Deciding Britain’s energy future’, the UK’s leading business group warned that without clarity on Government policy, £150 billion … Read more
A report by the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security and the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Food, on the European Commission’s Green Paper on ‘Forest Protection and Information in the EU: Preparing Forests for Climate Change’ is being launched today, July 21st, at 10am in the AV Room of Leinster House. … Read more
Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security today, Wednesday, 7th July, to discuss its report Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Projections 2010-2020. According to the latest report from the EPA, the recession and reduced industrial production have had a significant impact on carbon emissions … Read more