Press Release: Taoiseach's stance that climate change is 'not a priority' is foolhardy and economically short-sighted

The Environmental Pillar are calling on the Taoiseach Enda Kenny to retract his statement that ‘climate change is not a priority’ and start to build a country and economy fit for the 21st century. The Environmental Pillar, an advocacy coalition made up of 28 national environmental NGOs, want the Taoiseach to accept that failing to […]

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Submission on the Draft Environmental Analysis Report of Food Wise 2025

The Environmental Pillar welcomes the opportunity to input into this process. We were disappointed to see the FoodWise2025 strategy “launched” by such senior figures as Minister Coveney and the Taoiseach when the public consultation phase had yet to take place. We would note that FW2025 is an extension of the FoodHarvest2020 strategy. We welcome that […]

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Letter to Minister Quinn: Third Level Campuses as Living Laboratories for the Green Economy and a Sustainable Ireland

Dear Minister Quinn, The members of the Environmental Pillar are asking you to support a proposal under the Action Plan for Jobs 2014 for Third Level Campuses as Living Laboratories for the Green Economy and a Sustainable Ireland, as outlined on pages 73-76 of our Greening-the-Economy-and-Creating-Sustainable-Employment report. The Environmental Pillar is an advocacy coalition of 27 […]

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Greening the economy and creating sustainable employment

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Abstract The Action Plan for Jobs 2012 includes a commitment to produce a Green Economy Plan during the third quarter of 2012. This paper asserts that all policy oriented towards the creation of employment should be in the context of a green economy. It offers working definitions for a green economy, and for green jobs, […]

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Energy Minister's promotion of fossil fuels is short-sighted

13 June 2013: In reaction to a speech that Minister Rabbitte gave to over 70 companies yesterday, where he championed the benefits of further fossil fuel exploration around Ireland’s coasts, Environmental Pillar spokesperson Michael Ewing said: “We are very concerned that Minister Rabbitte is acting as a cheerleader for fossil fuel exploration in the seas […]

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Submission on National Bioenergy Strategy

Although reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are the primary driver for bioenergy policies, the full life cycle emissions of forms of different bioenergy are not yet fully understood but are known to vary dramatically. Even where biofuels are grown on land already in cultivation, this can lead to the displacement of food crops and other […]

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Government fails to deliver on Green Economy Plan

23 November 2012: The publication today of the Government’s policy statement on growth and employment in the Green Economy has failed to deliver on the promised Green Economy Plan, according to the Environmental Pillar, a coalition of 26 national environmental NGOs. The Environmental Pillar is disappointed that the policy statement, Delivering Our Green Potential, is […]

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Proposals for the 2013 Budget

Environmental Pillar proposals for placing the 2013 Budget in the context of Sustainable Development. [button href=”https://environmentalpillar.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Proposals-for-the-2013-Budget.pdf” title=”Title” target=”blank” shape=”square, rounded, pill” size=”mini, small, regular, large, x-large, jumbo”  info=”popover, tooltip” info_place=”top, right, bottom, left” info_trigger=”hover, click, focus” info_content=”This content will only show up if you have decided to show a popover.”] Click here to view the […]

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Submission on the Report on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes

Ireland faces two major and interlinked crises, firstly an environmental one and secondly an economic one. Whilst it is clear that a very serious economic crisis is upon us, with unfortunately many thousands of people unemployed, the consequences of rapid climate change and general environmental degradation are likely to be far worse. [button href=”https://environmentalpillar.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Environmental-Pillar-Submission-on-the-Report-of-the-Special-Group-on-Public-Service-Numbers-and-Expenditure-Programmes.pdf” title=”Title” […]

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John Gormley announcing the introduction of the Environmental Pillar

Minister John Gormley’s speech in the Dáil, April 8th, 2009 Transcript of text. The Green Party and our partners in government believe that the ‘smart economy’ is the ‘green economy’. And that green economy cannot prosper until such time as green thinking is fully integrated into the social partnership model. Today, I wish to announce […]

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