Environmental Pillar

26 November 2013: The right to information, as enshrined by the Aarhus Convention, is an emerging good news story in what has been a dim situation surrounding freedom of information in Ireland.The Aarhus Convention guarantees your right to easily obtain information on the environment or on human health issues that are affected by the environment. […]

12 November 2013:  The Environmental Pillar condemns the announcement of a further round of fossil fuel exploration on the very day that the 19th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change opened in Warsaw. Environmental Pillar spokesperson Oisín Coghlan said: “We are very concerned that Minister O’Dowd is acting as […]

7 November 2013:  The Environmental Pillar is warning that proposed local government reforms have excluded sustainable development from their core structures, putting the stability of our economy and communities at risk. Environmental Pillar spokesperson Michael Ewing said: “Let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past. During the Celtic tiger, environmental sustainability was left out of […]

7 November 2013: The Environmental Pillar, a coalition of 27 national environmental NGOs, welcomes the National Social and Economic Council (NESC) support for the greening of the Irish economy in its Report No.135  Ireland’s Five-Part Crisis, Five Years On: Deepening Reform and Institutional Innovation, published today.Michael Ewing, spokesperson for the Environmental Pillar, said:”Human society emerged […]

The Environmental Pillar sent this letter to all TDs on 5 November 2013, asking them to support the inclusion of this definition of ‘public authorities’ in the Freedom of Information Bill   Dear Deputy, The new Freedom of Information Bill is a step forward in many ways, but at present it is missing one opportunity. […]

On Thursday 17 October 2013, the Environmental Pillar sent the following letter to Minister Coveney:   Dear Minister Coveney, Your intention, as we understand the reporting of it, is not to extend support for farmers coming out of REP4 or AEOS in to 2014. This is part of an attempt to save money and will […]

Cork will be the first stop on a national roadshow to explore citizens’ rights of access to information, participation and justice in environmental matters. Have you found yourself frustrated when trying to get information on development and planning applications? Do you think that there should be more public participation in the decision-making processes around the […]

9 October 2013: The Environmental Pillar reacts with dismay to the news that Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2012 increased by 1% from 2011, as evidenced by today’s report from the EPA. We call on the government to deliver a strong Climate Change Bill with binding targets, and to re-evaluate the sustainability of Food Harvest […]

A green economy should be a driver of competitiveness, security of supply and sustainability. The Green Economy should incorporate the whole economy rather than be a niche or a subset. The UNEP definition of a Green Economy as one that results in “improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological […]

7 October 2013: The Environmental Pillar is extremely alarmed for the future prospects of our native ash trees, now that it has been confirmed that ash dieback has been discovered in a native ash tree in a hedgerow in Leitrim. The site is close to where the disease was first found in a commercial plantation of […]