In this edition: Deposit Return Scheme goes live, renewable electricity generation is up, and transport improvements for young people and cyclists, but latest data gives cause for renewed focus.
Also, take part in latest consultations - scroll to noticeboard for all the details.
Renewables key to electricity generation last year
Latest data on electricity generation shows 46% of all electricity generated in 2023 in Ireland came from Renewables.
The information, from the SEAI, shows that figure hit 62% in December, with 55% coming from wind.
Meanwhile, you can review detailed information from the Central Statistics Office on metered electricity generation.
Deposit return scheme goes live
Reverse vending machines are in use at sites up and down the country since the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for plastic bottles and aluminium cans at the beginning of February.
It is estimated that 5 million single-use drinks bottles and cans are consumed every day in Ireland. At present, our recycling rate for ‘on-the-go’ bottles is only 23%; we must get to an overall plastic bottle recycling rate to 90%.
Charging a small, refundable deposit for each plastic bottle or can has proven to reduce litter in over 40 countries around the world. More at the link below.
Taking Climate Action: Biomass heating for ATU
Atlantic Technological University campus now benefitting from biomass heating unit
The opening of a €1.9 million biomass heating centre at the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) campus in Letterkenny has been warmly welcomed.
The Government-funded initiative heats 80% of the main building in the business incubation centre.
Biomass fuel is a renewable energy that comes from organic feedstocks, including wood from forestry bi-products, poultry litter from chicken farms and straw from tillage.
The Community Climate Action Programme was launched at the Greenway in Cavan town
Applications have opened for a €27 million fund allocated to support local projects take climate action.
The fund can provide amounts of up to €100,000 to local projects over an 18-month period and is administered by local authorities.
Projects selected for funding will have to contribute to national climate and energy targets across community energy; travel; food and waste; shopping and recycling; and local climate and environmental action targets.
A new National Cycle Network (NCN) plan outlines how 3,500 km of safe and high quality cycle routes will connect millions of people to the places they need to go.
Meanwhile, recently extended fare discounts for young adults mean 24 and 25 year olds can avail of 50% fares on public transport.
Check out the Transport for Ireland website for more on fares.
Ireland's Climate Change Assessment is published in four volumes
Ireland’s first Climate Change Assessment Report (ICCA) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), published late January, provides for the first time, a comprehensive assessment of the state of knowledge around all key aspects of climate change.
The report complements and localises the global assessments undertaken by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and provides actionable information.
3. The Government has launched a consultation on the ‘Future Framework’ for offshore wind energy, which outlines how Ireland will meet the target of 37GW of offshore wind by 2050.
To make a submission to the consultation before 19 February 2024 and to read the supporting documents, click here.
4. A public consultation to guide the development of the National Biomethane Strategy is open.
The ambition is to scale up indigenously-produced biomethane to 5.7 TWh per annum by 2030. That's 10% of Ireland’s current overall gas demand.
1. More climate data backing up last month’s Met Éireann findings of the wettest warmest year on record, this time from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The service confirms 2023 was the hottest year on record, and that January was the warmest on record.
Katharine Hayhoe also has an excellent newsletter that you can sign up to.
3. WATCH: At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, speakers from The World Bank, the IMF, industry, academia and community leaders participated in a fascinating panel discussion on Climate and Nature: A Systemic Response Needed.
4. The Climate Action Tracker is an independent scientific project that tracks government climate action and measures it against the globally agreed Paris Agreement aim of "holding warming well below 2°C, and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C."
You might find the resources on their website useful.
5. New technical guidance on the retrofitting of older traditional buildings will lead to warmer, more energy efficient homes and will help to address vacancy and revitalisation of towns and cities.
All the information you need is available on gov.ie.
Competition
The Global Action Plan has opened registrations for the 2024 Climate Heroes competition.
Spread the word about this FREE team-based climate challenge for community groups, which will run from 15 until 26 April.
Climate Heroes is funded by Irish Aid, and is a unique tool to mobilise and empower members of your community group, to help them discover their power to make a change.
Up to 14 schools will be retrofitted and upgraded to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B with renewable heating to reduce their CO2 emissions under the next phase of the school retrofitting pathfinder programme.
The Pathfinder Programme has already led to the retrofitting of different types of schools in 19 counties. The new phase of the programme will cover schools in the remaining seven counties in the country that had not previously featured in the pathfinder programme.
WATCH this video on the SEAI Pathfinder programme for more on retrofitting of schools.
