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Climate and Sustainability

<p>A biomethane plant at Teagasc Grange in Co Meath.</p>

farming

That’s gas! — Biomethane production in modern Irish agriculture

Despite clear potential, biomethane remains underdeveloped in Ireland. Bridging the gap between ambition and delivery will depend on supports, infrastructure and farmer buy-in

<p>Attracta Uí Bhroin of Environmental Law Ireland said a court could find a decision to be unlawful but those taking the case would end up with a huge legal bill. File picture</p>

news

Environmental groups say cap on recoverable legal costs would limit access to justice

<p>Mark and Ellie crossing the Vietnam border. </p>

spotlight

10 things we’ve learned from cycling 24,000km around the world

Summer: young adults watering plants on a rooftop community garden

outdoors

Couple goals: Can economic growth finally go green?

More than 100 free events in national parks and reserves for Biodiversity Week

farming

More than 100 free events in national parks and reserves for Biodiversity Week

Kilkee's bathing water is filthy — so why are people objecting to a water treatment plant?

comment-analysis

Kilkee's bathing water is filthy — so why are people objecting to a water treatment plant?

Tirlán re-opens applications for Sustainable Farming Academy at UCC

Tirlán re-opens applications for Sustainable Farming Academy at UCC

The Sustainable Farming Academy, a collaboration between Tirlán and Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur, celebrates its fifth year as it re-opens for applications among the co-op members

Thu, 14 May, 2026

Flower garden

Wild Matters: The coexistence of gardens and nature

Resisting our cultural tendency to ‘tidy’ everything up in our gardens gives untold opportunities for wild creatures

Thu, 14 May, 2026

SHANNEN HEALY

S I’m going to 11 weddings this year — here’s how I’m saving money and still having fun

Cork-born, Dublin-based Shannen Healy has grown a following as a de-influencer, sharing her imperfect sustainable journey online. Here she shares how she is approaching wedding season in a way that saves money, reduces waste, and doesn’t take away from the fun

Wed, 13 May, 2026

Rural Farmland Landscape With Sheep And Rotating Wind Turbines For Renewable Energy Production In Scotland, UK

Renewable energy wasted last year highest since records began, new report shows

Climate Change Advisory Council said this resulted in 'approximately 10%, or €523m, in surplus wind energy wasted that could have otherwise been effectively utilised to deliver cleaner, cheaper electricity to Irish homes and businesses'

Wed, 13 May, 2026

Corncrake, Crex crexx

Malcolm Noonan: We must reconnect with nature to restore it for future generations

We have all the statutory targets; rewetting, woodland, marine, free flowing rivers, but then there’s the really tricky bit; winning hearts and minds, writes Malcolm Noonan

Tue, 12 May, 2026

Room with wooden furniture

Home Q&A: How to get a big return for a small spend when renovating

'I have just a few hundred euros to get my two-storey, detached home in order before next winter. The BER is a D, and the rooms upstairs are chill and slightly draughty. The windows are 20 years old'

Mon, 11 May, 2026

NETHERLANDS-AGRICULTURE-LIVESTOCK

The Netherlands shows what happens when slurry rules tighten

For decades, pig and chicken manure has been exported from the Netherlands, mainly to arable regions in Germany and France, where there is a demand for more manure

Mon, 11 May, 2026

Weather 'time machine' shows daily conditions for past 86 years

Weather 'time machine' shows daily conditions for past 86 years

The data available includes the temperature that day hour-by-hour, wind gusts, mean sea level pressure, wind, and rainfall

Mon, 11 May, 2026

Storage of manure

Co-op body urges Government to restore full TAMS support for nutrient storage

ICOS has written to agriculture minister Martin Heydon to encourage continued investment in nutrient storage as a 'national investment' under TAMS

Mon, 11 May, 2026

clothes hanging on a rack in a flea market

Esther McCarthy: My addiction to Vinted isn’t very sustainable

I do love a charity shop haul, but for me, 2026 signalled the Year Of Vinted

Sat, 09 May, 2026

Great and Blue Tit Feeding

No silver lining: Great tits under threat from global warming

Weather fluctuations and extremes caused by global warming can have disastrous impacts on great tit nestling growth and chick survival, researchers have found

Sat, 09 May, 2026

The changemakers: 'We can no longer ship our waste to the global south'

The changemakers: 'We can no longer ship our waste to the global south'

Ruth O’Connor talks to two Irish founders helping fashion brands prepare for new EU rules aimed at reducing waste in the industry

Sat, 09 May, 2026

Storage, repairs, mending: The fashion editor's guide to making your clothes last longer

Storage, repairs, mending: The fashion editor's guide to making your clothes last longer

We asked Style editor Annmarie O'Connor to share her top tips to keep your wardrobe in good shape

Sat, 09 May, 2026

How a free app and a stylist helped me shop less and find my style

How a free app and a stylist helped me shop less and find my style

Caught in a cycle of overconsumption, Nicole Glennon set out to buy less and wear more in 2026. She shares the five-step process that helped her feel more confident, spend less money, and become a more sustainable shopper

Sat, 09 May, 2026

'It just seemed like a no-brainer': Meet the women who make their own clothes

'It just seemed like a no-brainer': Meet the women who make their own clothes

In bedrooms, kitchens, and shared workshops across Ireland, sewing machines are humming again, as a quiet rebellion against fast fashion. Sarah Finnan speaks to three women about the power of making your own clothes

Sat, 09 May, 2026

I went behind the scenes at Vision Ireland to see the impact of our fast fashion addiction

I went behind the scenes at Vision Ireland to see the impact of our fast fashion addiction

From next-day delivery to resale apps like Vinted and Depop, clothing is moving through Ireland faster than ever. Inside the Vision Ireland warehouse, the scale of the country’s textile waste problem becomes impossible to ignore, writes Holly Warren

Fri, 08 May, 2026

How reorganising your fridge saves food, money, energy — and the planet

How reorganising your fridge saves food, money, energy — and the planet

Home organiser Hazel Burton says a weekly refrigerator reset is more sustainable, while cutting costs, food waste and stress levels

Fri, 08 May, 2026

The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: Is Ireland ready for nuclear power?

The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: Is Ireland ready for nuclear power?

Questions over energy security, renewables, and political support are fuelling renewed debate around nuclear power in Ireland

Listen | Fri, 08 May, 2026

Image Ref. No. 2005/017

Liam Quaide: Rural Ireland is not a costume to put on for political theatre

Rural Ireland is far more diverse and inclusive than the monolith portrayed by some who patronise us by claiming to represent it

Fri, 08 May, 2026

Sir David Attenborough's one hundred birthday

Irish Examiner view: David Attenborough taught us to look at the world with tenderness

We wish a happy 100th birthday to David Attenborough, whose gentle curiosity brought us all on a journey into nature — and left a civilisation wiser than he found it. Thank you, David.

Fri, 08 May, 2026

Close-up of a bumblebee collecting pollen from a pink flower

New radar technology could be critical for tracking pollinators

New radar technology could help aid research and policymaking by identifying pollinator insect species via 'wingbeat signatures'.

Wed, 06 May, 2026

Close-up of Young Farmer Refueling a Tractor With a Gas Pump in the Countryside During Daytime

Fuel income support scheme now open for farmers, agricultural, and forestry contractors

The fuel income support scheme is now open for applicants and will close later this month – successful applicants are anticipated to receive 20cpl on marked gas oil based on 2025 fuel usage

Wed, 06 May, 2026

Tractor spreading manure

Dutch offer a vision of the future for Irish farmers

The phase out of the derogation exemption for Dutch farmers has brought major changes in the use of fertilisers there

Wed, 06 May, 2026

Rivers of Munster: Suir 'probably the reason Clonmel exists in the first place'

Rivers of Munster: Suir 'probably the reason Clonmel exists in the first place'

A large island on the Suir, right in the middle of the town is now a significant presence in the town

Wed, 06 May, 2026

Rivers of Munster: Cork’s 'hidden' River Bride and the fight to protect it

Rivers of Munster: Cork’s 'hidden' River Bride and the fight to protect it

Central to Blackpool's development in the 1700s and 1800s, the OPW now want to cover the River Bride over for flood relief, thus losing it as an amenity for the village, writes Michael Moynihan

Tue, 05 May, 2026