ecomerit.ie
EcoMerit™ | Environmental Business Support
by EcoMerit
Our research and development department has carried out an in-depth review of the Carbon Content of Electricity consumed in Ireland.
At EcoMerit it is important that we use accurate carbon measurements that honestly reflect the nature of the electricity being produced and consumed.
As such the way we measure the Carbon Content of Electricity will be changing to reflect best practice.
See our New Policy Guide on this.
For further reading on our research see our in depth review.
by EcoMerit
EcoMerit has sent a response to the reply we received from minister Eamon Ryan’s office over the worrying new DECC policy on SEAI community grants that aims to introduce a restrictive domestic dwelling requirement (check it out here).
The campaign to remove this unnecessary barrier to environmental progress is ongoing and we appreciate all the support we have received so far. It is vital that we get this policy amended. The government has made commitments to Climate Action, yet at the same time they introduce a policy that will impede the incredible progress the EcoMerit community and others are making to this end. If the government is truly committed to Climate Action they must reflect this in their policy decisions- lip service will not suffice.
An update will be posted when we receive a response.
09/06/21
by EcoMerit
Last month we sent a letter to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, regarding the worrying new DECC policy that will limit access to key energy efficiency SEAI community grants (see our letter here).
We had a fantastic response from the EcoMerit community, many of whom took action and sent their own letters to the minister.
We would like to thank our members for this response. The way that the EcoMerit Community has pulled together to tackle this issue and take it up with government as a united front demonstrates the inherent value of communities like ours in keeping government policy in touch with the needs of real businesses and real people. This brings into focus the importance of not restricting such communities by inhibiting their access to key community grants that can help them grow and flourish in a sustainable way that allows them to meet and exceed the government’s own Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Targets. See the environmental progress our community has made with the support of SEAI community grants here (https://ecomerit.ie/performance/)
Minister Eamon Ryan’s office has now responded to our letter and you can view the response here. While it states that there is no intention to exclude anybody (which is good) it makes no commitment to address the issue (which is not so good). We intend to follow up on this on behalf of the EcoMerit Community and a response letter is currently being reviewed by our Oversight Board. Watch this space for updates.
28/05/21
by EcoMerit
We have just sent off a letter to Minister Eamon Ryan addressing the worrying policy emerging from the DECC regarding changes to the SEAI communities grant scheme. The DECC now requires all SEAI ‘Communities’ grant applications to include a significant number of domestic dwellings. The result of this policy is that many enterprises both within the EcoMerit community and the Irish Economy will be denied access to key grant support, making it more difficult for them to meet the environmental targets recently laid down in the governments Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill.
Over the last 10 years EcoMerit members have surpassed government targets, averaging a carbon footprint reduction of 9% year on year. SEAI community grants were instrumental in achieving much of this progress. We are concerned that going forward this change in policy will impair grant access for our community as well as a number of other communities, SMEs, charitable organisations and large businesses that do not include domestic dwellings.
In light of the recent climate summit this policy seems to be a step in the wrong direction.
Check out our full letter here.
by EcoMerit
On the 23rd March 2021 the Irish Government approved the final text of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill. This proactive and ambitious piece of legislation will
“provide for the approval of plans by the Government in relation to climate change for the purpose of pursuing the transition to a climate resilient, biodiversity rich and climate neutral economy by no later than the end of the year 2050 and to there by promote climate justice.” (Source: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021)
This means that the Government is putting into law a real commitment to transform Ireland into a Net Zero Carbon Emissions Economy over the next three decades. This includes:
-Committing Ireland to 51% reduction in carbon emissions over next decade (2018-2030) equating to a 7% yearly reduction.
-An Annually revised Climate Action Plan
-A series of 5 year economy wide carbon budgets, including sectoral targets for each relevant sector.
The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD had this to say about the new Bill:
“The Climate Action bill is a radical departure for Ireland and one that puts our country on a new course. It creates a new target to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, which will change our economy and society at every level. We will change how we heat our homes, generate power, move around our country, grow our food and run our businesses. It sends a clear signal to every sector that it must reshape its activities to reduce emissions . . . Our young people have told us it is time to act and today we are answering that challenge, by putting our commitments into law.”
EcoMerit welcomes this legislation and its proactive approach to decarbonising our economy and bringing about positive change for Irish businesses, organisations and ordinary citizens. We have been working to help Irish companies achieve this type of progress since 2009. Over the last decade our members have developed and executed Action Plans of their own to improve environmental performance, save on costs and attain environmental certification.
On average EcoMerit certified sites achieve a 9.2% yearly reduction in energy carbon emissions (see Performance). This puts the performance of our certified sites well on track to surpass the 7% yearly reductions in this Bill. And the really good news is that our members saved substantial amounts of money in the process.
We look forward to continuing this important work with the support of this new Bill. We are excited to help our existing and new members meet the demands of the new Carbon Budgets and sectoral targets and help put Ireland at the forefront of Climate Action and forward thinking Sustainable Economies worldwide.
See here the benefits that EcoMerit can offer your business.
by EcoMerit
Happy Earth Day! For the past 50 years Earth Day has been celebrated as a special day when the wellbeing of our Earth is put on centre stage. Brilliant people from across our global community come together to share ideas on how to build a better world and remind us all of the vital importance of maintaining the health of this planet we all call home.
It’s fantastic to see that this Earth Day is being taken seriously by governments around the world with a US led climate summit bringing world leaders together to discuss safeguarding our planet from Climate Change. It’s great also to see that Ireland has now been invited to participate, in recognition of its recent efforts in Climate Action, with the passing of the new Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill.
At EcoMerit we are happy to be play our part in this global movement by helping the members of our community to reduce their emissions (by over 9% annually on average) and become part of the sustainable economy of the future.
Find our more about Earth Day 2021 here and tune in to the Earth Day Live Event here.
EcoMerit
‘Cois Na Daire’
Kilbraney
Gusserane
New Ross
Co. Wexford Y34 Y942
Republic of Ireland
