19h30, 14 April, 2011, Burlington Hotel
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am delighted to join you tonight for the presentation of this year’s Green Awards. This event has steadily grown over the last number of years and is now one of Ireland’s premier events for recognising and rewarding the environmental contribution of businesses and other organisations. This year the competition received over 300 entries and 144 of these have been short-listed for the various prizes tonight. Represented among these are a wide variety of organisations, both public and private, from small start-up companies to major corporations. All of you are committed to protecting our environment and hopefully you will make or save some money along the way.
Economic growth and the creation of jobs are key commitments of the Government and will be an important focus across all policy areas. The Government will work to ensure that conditions are right to facilitate growth, to allow businesses such as yours to deliver the jobs which will get our people and our economy working again. Among the entrants for tonight’s awards there are many examples of companies approaching environmental problems in new and innovative ways. Innovation and the identification of new opportunities will be vital if we are to bring our economy back to growth as quickly as possible.
One of the awards sponsored by my Department tonight is the RX3 award. This award is designed to recognise companies that turn the waste created by one process into a resource which can then be used in the creation of new business opportunities. This delivers both environmental and business benefits.
The “reuse and recycle” approach creates revenue and employment while at the same time diverting materials away from landfill. Waste which previously was a cost, now becomes an opportunity; a win-win situation for businesses. It is very important that we continue to work towards building an economically viable, indigenous recycling industry in Ireland for our waste products; the continued exporting of such waste is concerning from the point of view of long-term sustainability and is a lost opportunity for us to create infrastructure, capacity and jobs in Ireland. I would urge those of you here tonight with responsibilities in this area to take action to examine this issue urgently.
The way in which we manage waste is changing across Europe. While these changes are driven primarily by environmental concerns, the security of supply of raw materials and other economic factors are also central to developments. Identifying new ways to utilise more recycled materials is key to this approach, as is the re-use and recycling of these materials in products and processes closer to home both in Ireland and Europe. These changes will present both challenges and opportunities for business. We must seek to exploit the opportunities that do arise in this and all other areas in order to develop new products, new processes and new markets. Improving productivity and managing costs will boost competitiveness and drive economic growth and job creation.
The State’s own presence in the marketplace offers huge opportunities in these areas. The annual public procurement spend is of the order of €15 billion. By increasingly opting for more resource-efficient goods, services and works, Government can greatly assist in the transformation of waste streams into waste resources, thereby turning Ireland into a resource efficient economy. To this end, I intend to prioritise the development of the first National Action Plan on Green Public Procurement.
This is an example of how investing in the well-being of our environment can save money and creates jobs, and is a clear example of how Government can lead in this area.
The management of our water services is another area where there is potential for greater efficiencies. The Programme for Government proposes the installation of water meters in individual households and the introduction of domestic water charges based on usage above a free allowance. My Department is currently preparing a strategy to implement these proposals, including a strategy for the procurement and installation of water meters. It is envisaged that the installation of meters will commence in 2012 and will be managed by a new State-owned water company, the establishment of which is also proposed in the Programme for Government. This new water utility company will take over responsibility for managing and supervising investment in water services infrastructure and to manage the domestic water metering programme. I will be preparing proposals regarding these matters for consideration by the Government toward the end of this year.
Climate change is clearly the major challenge facing all of us in terms of protecting our environment, and is a core national priority. We are acting together, countries across the world, to find a global solution and to finalise a comprehensive legal climate change agreement. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to primary legislation on climate change which will provide clear policy and a pathway for emission reductions in line with negotiated EU 2020 targets.
My Department is currently undertaking a review of Ireland’s climate-related policies and measures in light of existing and anticipated national greenhouse gas mitigation targets. The outcome of this review will underpin the development of future climate policy and will inform the content of the legislation to support the overall national effort in this area.
We do, of course, have other environmental issues in Ireland which are more immediately within our own control. The ongoing problem of litter and dumping is one of these. There still remains within our society, a small group of people who continue to recklessly dump and litter. I am determined that this must stop and it is my intention to review enforcement policy in this area with a view to introducing effective measures to tackle the problem.
While we have environmental challenges, I am greatly encouraged by the willingness of so many of you to become actively involved in making a positive difference; this willingness is echoed across society and I have noted a significant increase in the numbers of people becoming involved in environmental initiatives and volunteering generally in recent times. Earlier this week I launched the 2011 TidyTowns competition at Farmleigh with our sponsors, SuperValu, and a group of last year’s winners. It was immediately apparent from these people the pride that they take in their community and their willingness and enthusiasm to get out there and make a difference.
The business community and local authorities can play a very important role in supporting and facilitating this type of community effort. I would encourage you, therefore, to do what you can to work in cooperation with these groups and to ensure that your own businesses are leaders in keeping our communities clean and better places to live. Indeed, the support of businesses, like SuperValu, for key environmental projects is all the more important now.
The environment cannot become a secondary issue in these more challenging economic times; it is now that we need to ensure that we are fully exploiting the cost and job creation benefits to be gained from operating businesses in a more environmentally-friendly manner. I know many of you here are involved in sponsoring initiatives managed by my Department, local authorities, environmental non-Governmental organisations and others and I thank you for your continued support; we must continue to educate people, particularly the next generation, so that we can create the sustainable society that we all desire.
Earlier this week I also announced a once-off event - Civic Responsibility Week - which will run from 9 May to 15 May. This event will supplement and build upon the excellent work done through community groups, businesses and local authorities. To support the initiative, I am providing grants to local authorities, totalling €350,000 to assist them in improving the visual amenity of their areas. With the forthcoming State visits, Ireland will become the centre of international media attention. It is important that we present our country in the best possible light, as a clean and green destination to visit, live, work and do business in.
Civic Responsibility Week is an opportunity to further enhance the visual amenity of our urban and rural environments. For too long, the only stories coming from Ireland have been negative ones. It is vital now that we show Ireland in a more positive light. I would encourage you to ensure that your businesses make a special effort during that week so that we can all put our best foot forward.
The Environmental Protection Agency, which is under the aegis of my Department, and greenbusiness.ie are sponsoring the award for the Green Supply Chain tonight. I know that many businesses are already working closely with the EPA to reduce their environmental impact through the Green Business Initiative and the Green Hospitality Awards. The Green Business initiative offers a range of supports to help small and medium enterprises to identify savings. Prevention projects include the Green Hospitality Programme for the hotel/catering sector where annual savings totalling €5.6 million were made by 160 of these businesses in 2010.
Additionally, the Green Business project has identified potential savings of €1.65 million
for 60 businesses while the Green Healthcare project has identified minimum potential savings of €1.2 million in major hospitals. I would encourage you to take advantage of this resource, which is funded by my Department through the National Waste Prevention Programme. The website - greenbusiness.ie - allows businesses to measure resource use and identify where savings might be made. They can also request a free site visit from an advisor who will come to their premises and identify environmental measures that can save money for the business.
There is no denying that Ireland has made great strides in the environmental arena over the last 20 years, supported by the initiatives taken by the European Commission. We still have a way to go, and there are some difficult legacy issues which I am determined to address urgently. I think it has been conclusively proven that the only way to achieve our environmental goals is through cooperation and a coordinated approach by all parts of society. Business has played its part and we must not allow our performance to wane in challenging times.
We all can and should work together to continue to improve our environment; there are benefits to us as businesses, consumers, employees and citizens. These awards tonight demonstrate how your businesses have led the way and I commend you for that leadership and hope that it contributes to the success of your enterprises.
I hope you all enjoy the evening.
Thank You.