Sustainability, Competitiveness and Resilience Bulletin, 29 May 2026

In this week's bulletin read how Ireland will receive a further €249 million under the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility, new CSO insights on labour market and social sustainability, and EPA projections showing Ireland remains off track to meet its 2030 climate targets. The bulletin also covers developments in biodiversity funding, carbon farming, climate resilience, and circular economy policy at national, European and global level, as well as the usual articles, resources and events.

Chartered Accountants Ireland

Chartered Accountants Ireland and British Irish Chamber of Commerce will hold panel discussion on mobilising private-sector investment in infrastructure on 9 June.

Ireland and the UK face significant infrastructure investment requirements over the coming decade. A recent British Irish Chamber of Commerce briefing with Sean O’Driscoll, member of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, highlighted that Ireland requires approximately €250bn in infrastructure investment, while the UK is expected to require £1tn over the next ten years. 

In both markets, private-sector finance will play a critical role in delivering the scale of investment required. As governments seek to accelerate infrastructure delivery and economic growth, this discussion will explore how private-sector investment can be mobilised, the barriers that remain, and the opportunities for collaboration across these islands. 

Members are encouraged to register for the session on Tuesday morning 9 June from 8am–10am in Chartered Accountants House which will be moderated by Michele Connolly, member of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce and former Partner and Head of Global Infrastructure at KPMG. 

Ireland

Strong and sustainable economy depends on timely infrastructure delivery

“A strong and sustainable economy depends on the timely delivery of housing and critical infrastructure”, according to the Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Marian Harkin, TD.

Minister Harkin was speaking at the Second National Skills Roundtable, which took place this week, and which focused on workforce capacity across the construction and infrastructure sectors in support of the State’s housing and infrastructure delivery priorities. Further commenting, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, TD, described strong alignment across industry, education providers and Government, and a commitment to work in partnership to ensure Ireland has the skilled workforce needed to meet Ireland’s housing and infrastructure ambitions.

The outcomes of the gathering will inform ongoing work across Government to strengthen skills provision across the construction and infrastructure sectors with further roundtable events taking place over the coming months.  

Ireland to receive €249m under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility 

Ireland is to receive its fourth payment of €249 million under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The RRF is the main pillar of the European recovery plan, NextGenerationEU, designed to combat the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and make the European economy more resistant to future shocks. It entered into force on 19 February 2021 and finances reforms and investments in EU Member States made from the start of the pandemic in February 2020 until 31 August 2026.  Read more from Chartered Accountants Ireland.

CSO publishes Business in Ireland 2025 - Labour Market and Social Sustainability

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has published Business in Ireland 2025 - Labour Market and Social Sustainability, the fourth in a series of releases that looks at data relating to enterprises through the lens of sustainability. The release looks the factors that can impact enterprise economy sustainability, and how enterprises impact more broadly on social sustainability in Ireland (living standards, gender equality, etc.). Read more from Chartered Accountants Ireland here.

EPA Projections show Ireland remains off track for 2030 Climate

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published its greenhouse gas (ghg) emissions projections for the period 2025-2055. The projects show that Ireland could achieve a reduction of up to 25 percent in ghg emissions by 2030 with full implementation of a wide range of policies and plans across all sectors. This is a shortfall on its national target of 51 percent. While Ireland will be close to meeting the first carbon budget, the report find that nearly all sectors are on track to exceed their sectoral emissions ceilings for the second carbon budget by 2030; however, Ireland is projected to exceed its EU Effort Sharing Regulation target of 42 percent reduction by 2030.

With less than four years left to 2030, the EPA warns that a strong focus must be put on implementation of policies and measures to meet climate targets which it notes will deliver wide-ranging benefits from environmental protection, supporting public health and wellbeing and reducing Ireland’s dependence on fossil fuels.

Report publishes on National Carbon Farming Framework for Ireland

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD, has published a report on the public consultation on a draft set of principles to develop a National Carbon Farming Framework. This framework aims to increase the ambition and participation of our land managers in the areas of carbon removal, emission reductions, and ecosystem services. The overall objective of the consultation was to support policy development and facilitate the adoption and scaling of Carbon Farming management practices within agriculture's primary production system, thereby contributing towards Ireland achieving its climate, biodiversity and water quality targets. Commenting, Minister Heydon described one of the aims of framework as giving confidence to those wishing to invest in Carbon Farming.

€3 million funding announcing for biodiversity projects

Minister of State for Nature, Biodiversity and Heritage, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, has announced the allocation of €3 million in funding under the Local Biodiversity Action Fund (LBAF) 2026. The Fund is operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to assist Local Authorities to carry out projects that target the objectives of Ireland’s 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) 2023-2030. A diverse range of local authority-led projects have been selected for support through the fund, to support conservation, action on invasive species and habitat management across all 31 local authorities. The value of national ecosystem services in Ireland, in terms of their productive output and human utility, has been estimated at over €2.6 billion euros per year, making their protection an economic imperative.

Northern Ireland/UK

Minister Muir announces £380,000 in funding to improve water quality

Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, has confirmed that more than £380,000 has been allocated to 16 water quality projects, including 11 within the Lough Neagh catchment. The projects are to be funded under the Water Quality Improvement Strand of the Environment Fund, following open competition earlier this year, and builds on the achievements of 2025/26, which saw £347,000 delivered to improve water quality. The 16 projects support a wide range of activities that connect people to the aquatic environment; conserve and restore water habitats; and promote nature-based solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation.

Minister Muir earlier outlined his vision for a ‘nature positive society’ in which he stated that focusing on environmental protection is an investment in long term health, resilience and economic prosperity. During an address to the Northern Ireland Environment Forum, Minister Muir described climate change as “the defining challenge of our generation,” as evidenced by increased flash flooding, wildfires, other extreme weather events and pressures on farming, food systems and infrastructure which will continue to worsen. 

A Well-Adapted UK – 4^th Independent Climate Change Risk Assessment publishes

The UK Climate Change Committee has published its 4th Independent Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA4-IA), containing a technical assessment of the evidence on the impacts of climate change and assessing 41 risks for the UK. It explains, among other things, how today’s climate impacts are already causing over £6 billion of damages each year. It also warns that without action to build resilience, the cost is set to increase to around £10 billion each year by 2030 and over £18 billion by 2050. As well as the risk assessment, a new complementary element has been introduced called the ‘Well Adapted UK Report' which describes the potential steps that can be taken to address these risks.

Commenting, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, stated “The report highlights that early investment is crucial to reducing more severe financial impacts in the future. […] Whilst the publication of Northern Ireland’s third Climate Change Adaptation Programme marked a crucial step in strengthening our resilience there is still much work to do. The recommendations of the Well Adapted UK report are a welcome addition to the Climate Change Committee’s Fourth independent risk assessment which we will use to help build resilience and guide the development of our next Adaptation Programme.”

Europe

Spring 2026 Economic Forecast publishes as energy shock drives up inflation

The European Commission’s Spring 2026 Economic Forecast predicts a slowdown in growth as energy shock drives up inflation. The conflict in the Middle East delivered “one of the most significant global energy supply disruptions in recent history”, coming less than five years after the energy shock triggered by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Global growth (excluding the EU) is now projected at 3.1 percent in 2026 and 3.5 percent in 2027.

The forecast predicts that faster implementation of structural reforms addressing long-standing bottlenecks to EU growth remains “an important upside risk to the outlook” with strong public investment in sectors such as defence and the energy transition having the potential to offset some of the weakness expected in the private sector. It also points to the balance needed in the use of AI, which it notes represents both opportunity and risk: productivity gains could support investment in the EU, while labour market disruption could weigh on demand.

New ICT toolkit for integrated climate change assessment

The EU-funded NEVERMORE project has developed an ICT toolkit, which combines climate science, socio-economic data, and stakeholder knowledge to promote integrated climate change assessment. The open-access toolkit contains a catalogue explorer, case study tool, EU-global scale tool, and gamification tool to support scenario evaluation, policy prioritization, and stakeholder learning. The toolkit can also be explored through a dedicated MOOC programme available on the project website.

European Parliament calls for ‘European carers’ statute’

The European Parliament is calling for a “European carers’ statute” to recognise care work and to set minimum standards across the EU. MEPs also want to make sure informal carers are recognised in pension schemes and social security systems.  In its presentation of recommendations to move towards a society that promotes equality between men and women in formal and informal care, the Parliament advocated for a “care society” that prioritises home and community-based services, intergenerational solidarity, and independent living. MEPs also welcomed the European Commission’s announcement that it will present a European “care deal” in 2027.  In a report adopted in plenary by 263 votes to 83 and with 154 abstentions, MEPs stated that access to care is a fundamental right and urge EU countries to address gender inequality across all forms of care.

World

UN adopts resolution on legal obligation to combat climate chang

The UN General Assembly has voted 141-8 in favour of a landmark resolution backing a climate opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which argues that countries have a legal obligation to address climate change, as well as reduce the use of fossil fuels. Read more from Sustainable Online.

Linear economy costs €1 out of every €3 in economic value created globally

The 2026 Global Circularity Gap Report has found that 31 percent of global gross domestic product amounting to €25.4 trillion in value annually is avoidably lost in today’s linear economy. For every €3 of economic value created globally, about €1 is lost. Losses include material and product mismanagement, as well as the costs unaccounted for in the linear economy, where resources are extracted, turned into products and then discarded prematurely. The report, titled The Value Gap redefines this as representing a significant strategic opportunity to redesign systems, capture lost value, strengthen economic resilience and build more resilient, competitive and future-ready business models. Circular strategies can retain and recover much of that value by improving the management of materials and products, but the report warns that achieving circularity at scale requires collaboration among businesses, policymakers, and financiers to help address systemic value loss and unlock opportunities. 

Technical Roundup

(from our colleagues in Professional Accounting)

• The European Commission have issued a call for views on the draft regulation for the Revised ESRS and on draft delegated regulation for the VSME.
• The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has published the transcript of a speech that its Chair, Emmanuel Faber, held at the International Sustainability Conference in Beijing on 23 April 2026.

Resources

How Can Sustainability Leaders Speak the Language of Business

As sustainability evolves, leaders need to connect sustainability to strategy, incentives, and business value. David Carlin explains how. 

Accountancy Europe Sustainability Update

Accountancy Europe has published its May Sustainability Update with the following highlights:

• ENVI-ECON hold exchange of views on EU Taxonomy Regulation
• SFDR revision advances in the legislative process
• European Commission simplifies implementation of EU Deforestation Regulation
• New FAQs on Taxonomy Disclosures DA
• European Commission adopts DAs under ESG Ratings Regulation
• OECD recommendations on sustainable bonds 

Articles

• EU Pay Transparency Directive - what it means for Irish businesses (RTÉ)
• Stalling for time on EU Pay Transparency directive? That’s a business fail (Irish Times)
• How much mortgage debt could be swamped by floods (Business Post)
• Data centres to consume tenth of global power by 2050 (City Am)
• Artificial intelligence spells a real climate disaster (Irish Times)
• Beyond Compliance: Leading with AI and Sustainability (Accountants Today) 
• Fiber Is the New Bottleneck: Why AI Data Center Returns Are Now at Risk (Global Data Centre Hub)
• Two thirds of technology firms believe renewables will supply most energy for AI within five years (Sustainable Online)
• Why nature loss is now a business-critical risk (ICAEW)
• Record number of firms in Ireland achieve top climate rating (RTÉ)
• ‘Planning delays biggest infrastructure barrier’ (Law Society Gazette)
• Solar energy surges as grid taps into Ireland’s of sunny spell (Irish Times)

Events 

Sustainability Centre

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