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Ireland’s Environment 2012
144
The Green Economy and
Sustainable Growth for Ireland
The green economy is a phrase
which is used to categorise a wide
range of economic activities which
contribute to lower greenhouse
gas emissions and better resource
usage while also functioning as
commercial businesses. There are
a number of key sectors which are
usually identified with the green
economy overall. These include:
renewable energies; energy efficient
products and services for buildings;
lower carbon transport; water/
wastewater treatment; waste
management; and green tourism.
On a global scale, this sector of
the overall economy is projected
to grow strongly into the future
providing opportunities for Irish-
based companies to export relevant
goods and services and also for
Ireland to attract growing volumes
of foreign investment. Ireland has
a number of strengths which it can
leverage to create employment
and growth opportunities both
for indigenous companies and for
foreign investment in Ireland. These
include excellent renewable energy
and water resources; strengths in key
sectors such engineering & ICT goods
and a strong R&D base.
A central plank of Ireland’s
economic recovery will centre on the
development of a green economy
that recognises the opportunities for
investment and employment creation
in sectors such as renewable energy,
energy efficiency and waste and
water management, and how this
sustainable approach to economic
development can complement the
core strengths of the economy in
the use of natural resources
(DECLG, 2011).
An economic model for Ireland based
on sustainable growth will provide
the following advantages:
n
freeing up resources for
household spending and
productive investment by
reducing energy and material
costs
n
reducing reliance on imports and
exposure to the fragile geopolitics
of energy supply
n
providing a boost to jobs in
the expanding ‘environmental
industries’ sector
n
making progress towards the
demanding carbon emission
reduction targets needed to
stabilise the global climate
n
protecting valuable ecological
assets and improving the quality
of Ireland’s living environment for
generations to come.
Clean energy from renewable
sources will be a critical pillar of
the green economy. In 2011 the
Sustainable Energy Authority of
Ireland (SEAI) unveiled three energy
roadmaps to 2050 focusing on the
potential benefits of Ireland moving
to a future energy system where
electricity, managed via a smart-
grid, and increasingly generated by
wind, meets more of the country’s
energy needs, in particular for heat
and transport (SEAI 2011a; 2011b;
2011c).
When the hydroelectric scheme at
Ardnacrusha on the Shannon was
developed in the 1920s (the largest
hydroelectric scheme in the world
at that time) the new Irish state was
striving for energy independence
using renewable resources. Today the
station generates less than one per
cent of the country’s energy needs.
Now, 90 years later, the resources,
technology and expertise exist to
gain energy independence through
a major investment in renewable
energy generation. Such a step
would put the Irish economy on a
more sustainable footing into the
future.
In parallel with developing
sustainable energy sources, a
successful green economy will
require a more environmentally
sustainable approach to production
and consumption, with a major focus
on resource efficiency. It is necessary
to ensure that resource efficiency
is embedded across all sectors of
the economy in Ireland. This would
allow the economy to create more
with less, deliver greater value with
less input, and utilise resources in a
way that minimises pressures on the
environment.
Terms such as ‘Eco-Innovation’
and ‘Green Business’ refer to
the production and delivery of
high-quality goods and services
at a competitive price, without
compromising the environment.
By embracing these principles,
businesses can generate real savings
in terms of energy consumption,
water usage and waste generation
and so deliver a win-win in terms
of a competitive economy and a
reduced environmental impact.