Ireland ‘could lead in sustainable development’

IRELAND’S last National Sustainable Development Strategy was a failure and our challenge is to set and meet real targets, according to the Comhar, the sustainable development council.

Comhar chairman Professor Frank Convery was speaking at the organisation’s national conference in Dublin yesterday where he spoke of Ireland’s potential to become a world leader in sustainable development by adopting innovative and proactive approaches.

Prof Convery said that with our accelerated economic growth over the past 15 years, we failed to deliver sustainable models for future growth. “Looking forward to the next decade, the new sustainable strategy must contain real targets that can have a positive impact on our climate and the way in which we live, while maintaining economic development. Setting targets is painless, but meeting them requires making sure that we have the right policies in place, sufficient resources, and well motivated and functioning institutions and personnel at national, regional and local levels.

“To be effective, sustainable development policy must involve many government departments and agencies working together, and must interact productively with stakeholders in business, social, community and environmental sectors.”

Comhar called for a carbon proofing of all new fiscal measures so they do not drive up greenhouse emissions, the encouraging of biofuels by their use in public transport and government vehicles and improved infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.

Environment Minister John Gormley said that the prospect of delivering on our emissions and sustainability targets offered an exciting opportunity to business, government and non-governmental interests.

“Building a sustainable society and economy in Ireland requires innovation, changes in lifestyle and a commitment to policy and administrative structures that can monitor our progress in delivering change. It’s critical that everybody — from families to businesses and policy-makers — starts viewing sustainable development as a positive opportunity to add value to our society and economy.”

Meanwhile, at a presentation at Croke Park on research trends in the development of energy efficient technologies, the general manager of Siemens Energy and Transportation, Liam Mulligan, said it will likely be 2015 before fuel cells, wind and wave power become a commercial alternative to fossil fuel.

Mr Mulligan said Ireland needs to develop more flexible electricity generating plants.

We need to improve links to the British and European electricity grids “as it’s likely that down the line we could have more wave and wind power than we could use ourselves”.

Ireland could be at the forefront of wind and wave energy production if we put the correct infrastructure in place, he said.