In this week’s bulletin we bring you news of the ‘green and digital economy’ as set out in Ireland’s white paper on enterprise, the launch of Ireland’s ‘SDG Champions’ programme, renewable energy use in Northern Ireland, the Biodiversity COP in Montreal, Canada, and the launch of the Chartered Accountants Ireland Ethnicity Network Group. Also find links to useful articles, sustainability jobs and events.
Chartered Accountants Ireland launches initiative to support ethnic minorities in accountancy profession
Chartered Accountants Ireland has today launched an Ethnicity Network Group to develop a more inclusive profession by helping organisations to foster a culture of equity, inclusion and belonging for employees from minority ethnic groups. The Ethnicity Network Group will include a programme of events; the provision of training and resources for organisations; and the development of a mentoring programme to support members and students from Traveller, Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups.
‘Green and digital economy’ set out in enterprise policy
The Irish Government’s ‘White Paper on Enterprise’ launched this week and points to the increased urgency to decarbonise industry. The first of the policy’s seven priority enterprise policy objectives – ‘Integrating decarbonisation and net zero commitments’ – includes a target to reduce emissions from industry by 35 percent by 2030, with a 45 reduction in emissions expected in the commercial built environment by 2030. Speaking at the launch, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar, T.D., said that “decarbonisation requires all business to take action and invest in change. Government will be there to help businesses reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and improve their energy efficiency in the coming years through a range of initiatives, including knowledge transfer, grants and loans.”
Also announced this week was a funding agreement with the European Investment Fund (EIF) for a €500 million “Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme”. This scheme will make competitively priced loans of between €25,000 and €3 million available to SMEs for terms of up to ten years, with loans of up to €500,000 available unsecured. The scheme will target a minimum of 30% of the lending volume towards Environmental Sustainability purposes with the aim of encouraging SMEs to take positive actions in support of the climate change agenda.
Ireland launches ‘SDG Champions’ programme
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has launched its 2023 SDG Champions Programme. DECC is seeking applications from all organisations and groups to find 20 advocates for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to raise public awareness of the SDGs as ‘SDG Champions’. Applications will be accepted until Friday, 20 January 2023. Find out more about the SDGs from the Chartered Accountants Ireland Sustainability Hub.
Renewable electricity consumption - Northern Ireland
A total of 49.3 percent of total electricity consumed in Northern Ireland between October 2021 and September 2022 was generated from renewable sources located. The ‘Electricity Consumption and Renewable Generation in Northern Ireland: Year ending September 2022’, published this week, details the percentage of electricity consumption in Northern Ireland generated from renewable sources and includes information on the type of renewable generation. The highest percentage recorded - and the monthly proportion on record for the region – was recorded in February 2022, when 76.5 percent of electricity consumption was generated from renewable sources.
The Biodiversity COP
The ‘Biodiversity COP’ is taking place from 7-19 December in Montreal, Canada. Governments from around the world have come together to agree on a new set of goals to guide global action through 2030 to halt and reverse nature loss. This COP comes quickly after the international summit on the climate crisis – ‘COP27’ – in Egypt, at which the architects of the Paris Agreement reiterated that the climate crisis and nature loss are intrinsically linked: “There is no pathway to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees without taking action on protecting and restoring nature”. Find out more about accountants and accounting for nature on the Chartered Accountants Ireland Sustainability Hub.
Articles
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The stakes could not be higher at Cop15, where countries must map way to save biodiversity on Earth (Irish Times)
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Carbon accounting: what it is and why your company should start doing it (World Economic Forum)
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A4S Summit, bringing together leaders in finance for discussion, insight and action to explore the trends shaping our world and the practical actions that can be taken to build a resilient, sustainable economy, 13-15 December