It’s the Summer!
At long last, after a meteorologically wet, wet, wet May, we have finally turned the corner into June and we couldn’t be happier.
Yes folks, it’s the season for festivals, flowers and frivolities. We know you’re all beginning to get a bit tetchy behind the desks, eyes straying more and more towards that sunny glare on the window. Al fresco lunch breaks – well, eating your sambo on the nearest bench counts – and coffee n walk tours of the neighbourhood for those all important steps.
Now is the time for news on the move. So today, for that short, sharp shock and to mix it up a bit, we’re offering you ‘news n chews’, a short menu of bitesize news from which you ‘chews’ the bites you wish to snack on. #keepitsimple
ENGINEERS IRELAND ELECT EPA’S LAURA BURKE AS NEW VICE-PRESIDENT
Engineers Ireland has elected EPA Ireland DG, Laura Burke, as their new Vice-President.
The regulatory body for professional engineers, Engineers Ireland held its AGM on 2nd June, 2022 during which it inaugurated Laura Burke to the role of Vice-President. Executive Coach and former DG of Engineers Ireland, John Power, was inaugurated as the 130th President.
Laura, who was appointed Director of EPA Ireland in 2011, is a graduate Chemical Gngineer of UCD. She also holds an MSc from Trinity. A Chartered Director of the IoD, she is Chair of both the European Environment Agency (EEA) Management Board and the Societal Challenge 5 Advisory Group for Horizon 2020.
Speaking after her inauguration Laura said,
“I am honoured to be elected as Vice-President of Engineers Ireland. Engineers play a critical role in delivering innovative, sustainable solutions to current and emerging societal issues such as Climate Change, and as Vice President, I look forward to working with President John Power and the wider membership to see how we can best leverage the talent of our engineering community.”
In the Construction industry? You might find our recent piece on the need for robust Health & Safety practices in the industry an interesting read HERE.
FAIR SEAS REPORT – STILL TIME TO PROTECT IRISH SEAS
To mark #WorldOceansDay, Marine conservationist and advocacy group Fair Seas has published its “Revitalising Our Seas” report in which it shows how we can protect 30% of Ireland’s seas by 2030.
A coalition of Ireland’s leading environmental, non-governmental organisations (eNGOs) and environmental networks, Fair Seas seeks to build a movement of ‘ocean stewardship’. Including groups such as Birdwatch Ireland, the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group as well as the Irish Wildlife Trust, the newly formed coalition published the research-based report, the full title of which is – Revitalising Our Seas – Identifying Areas of Interest for Marine Protected Area Designation in Irish Waters, to coincide with World Ocean Week which occurs in early June.
Aimed at starting a frank and honest discussion between all interested stakeholders and decision-markers at both a local and national level, the report explains how it is still possible for us to protect up to 36% of our seas in line with our 2030 EU objectives. Currently just 2% of Irish coastal and territorial waters has been afforded protected status ie. Marine Protected Area (MPA) and while the government is committed to reaching the milestone of 30% by 2030, Fair Seas is urging that urgent steps are taken now to make that happen sooner.
The recently formed group of wildlife, environmental and marine experts has identified 16 sites across our coastal ecosystem and the Irish seas that should be declared MPAs given their significance in providing natural habitats, such as salt-marshes, for many animals on the critically endangered list such as sharks, oysters and curlews. These sites also serve as breeding grounds for Atlantic Puffins and Blue Whales.
“If managed effectively, MPAs restore ocean life. This restoration is necessary, because biodiversity has declined significantly in recent decades due to human impacts such as over-exploitation, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.
By Ireland stepping up its investment in its marine environmental management, including MPAs, it will benefit biodiversity, people and make for a more sustainable economy.” – Revitalising our Seas Report, June 2022.
If the environment, climate crisis or protection of the marine and wildlife are important to you and your organisation, or if changes to marine law impact your business, our blog on achieving business sustainability might be of interest to you. Read it HERE.
WORLD GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL LAUNCHES EU ROADMAP FOR CARBON NEUTRAL BUILDING
The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has launched a new EU policy roadmap to drive the Construction industry towards climate neutral buildings. The new policy plan details a timeline of recommended actions to accelerate the decarbonisation of buildings by 2050 by tackling CO2 emissions as well as construction and materials emissions.
A not-for-profit coalition of businesses and organisations from across the Construction industry, the World Green Building Council is an advocate for sustainable building and construction, the aim of which is to transform the wider industry across three pillars – climate action, health and wellbeing, and resources and circularity.
Drawn up by leaders from across the construction industry, the plan, entitled “The EU Policy Whole Life Carbon RoadMap #BuildingLife” is the first at EU level to focus on the “whole life carbon impact at the building level”. It outlines the key EU policy interventions, regulatory measures and tools needed to achieve a decarbonised, circular, resilient and well-designed built environment by 2050.
Read the entire WGBC roadmap HERE.
ISO ANNOUNCES INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP AGREEMENT TO “DEFINE NET ZERO”
The body behind world-renowned management system standards, the International Standards Organisation, has announced the launch of a platform via which net-zero guiding principles can be developed. The ISO, which is a member of the Our 2050 World collaboration to support the “race to zero” using standards, announced the first of its kind platform for developing a consensus-based benchmark for the climate action agenda.
Seeking to support consistency and unanimity of policy objectives at both local and International level, the IWA will provide guidance around areas such as the definition of #netzero at all levels and how net-zero can be incorporated into policies, as well as giving consideration to the basis for subsequent accountability mechanisms, such as reporting and communications.
For more details of the ISO’s International Workshop Agreement and its key objectives, log onto the ISO website at https://www.iso.org/contents/news/2022/06/defining-net-zero.html
We hope you enjoyed our news n chews. More newsy snacks will be added to our menu across the Summer.
For information on the ISO-based services offered by CG Business Consulting including ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard and ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Standard, log onto our website at www.cgbusinessconsulting.com.
