In July 2020, the Secretariat of the National Economic and Social Council published a working paper in which it advises that green investment is key to Ireland’s economic recovery from COVID-19.

The paper’s author, Dr Jeanne Moore, identified catalysts for Ireland’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, including urgent environmental sustainability measures. Although the progress towards green and sustainable is positive, the paper notes “delivering sustainability will require more than navigation and ambition but will necessitate concrete innovative and collaborative action on multiple fronts including governance, finance, business and technological innovation and a just transition”.

The paper, Progressing Sustainability in the Context of Covid-19: Grasping the Opportunity, suggests four concrete strategies for building-in sustainability with a focus on ways to deepen resilience and sustainability in practice:

1. Supportive Sustainability and Wellbeing Frameworks
2. Green Investment and Conditionality
3. Sustainability: Building Resilience in Cities, Communities and Governance
4. Applying a Just Transition Approach in Practice