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Introduction & Socio-economic Context
7
The first Green Public Procurement
Action Plan,
Green Tenders
, was
launched in January 2012. The
overall objective of Green Tenders
is to assist public authorities to
plan and implement green public
procurement successfully. Public
procurement can shape production
and consumption trends and
generates significant demand for
greener goods; it can thereby enlarge
markets for environmentally friendly
products and services.
Water
The Water Framework Directive
(WFD) (EP and CEU, 2000) is a
key initiative aimed at improving
water quality throughout the EU.
Its objectives are to protect all
high-status waters, prevent further
deterioration of all waters and
restore degraded surface and ground
waters to good status by 2015. It
applies to rivers, lakes, groundwater
and coastal waters. The Directive
requires that management plans be
prepared for each river basin and
specifies a structured approach to
developing those plans. In Ireland,
River Basin Management Plans were
finalised for each of the seven river
basin districts in the country in July
2010. The plans set out the current
status of our waters, the objectives
to be achieved by 2015, 2021
and 2027, and the programme
of measures to be implemented in
order to achieve those objectives.
A consultation paper on the
Reform of the Water Sector in
Ireland
(DECLG, 2012) highlighted
the strategic importance of water to
the Irish economy and the need to
manage Ireland’s water resources in a
sustainable way to support economic
growth and competitiveness. The
paper outlined the Government’s
intention to take a national approach
to water to improve cost efficiency
associated with water provision.
It also sought submissions on the
proposed establishment of a public
water utility and on a proposed
approach to the introduction
of water metering and charges
for domestic water users. This is
expected to be progressed further
in the coming years.
Biodiversity
In the area of biodiversity, the
National Biodiversity Plan 2011–2016
(DAHG, 2011) is the main vehicle
by which Ireland seeks to meet its
commitments under the Convention
on Biological Diversity and the
EU Biodiversity Strategy. The plan
lists 102 actions that cover the
conservation of biodiversity in
the wider countryside and in the
marine environment, both within
and outside protected areas. The
overarching target of the plan is ‘that
biodiversity loss and degradation of
ecosystems are reduced by 2016 and
progress is made towards substantial
recovery by 2020’. Some specific
key objectives are to mainstream
biodiversity in the decision making
process across all sectors and to
strengthen the knowledge base for
conservation, management and
sustainable use of biodiversity.
Sustainable Development
The Draft Framework for Sustainable
Development for Ireland (DECLG,
2011a) was published as a
consultation document in December
2011. This overarching policy
document recognises that economic,
environmental and social progress
go hand in hand. It also notes that
there is a growing consensus that
our systems of production and
consumption cannot be sustained
without posing a significant threat
to the environment and to human
health. Water scarcity, air and water
pollution, climate change, resource
depletion and irreversible biodiversity
loss are problems that have to be
tackled as a matter of priority.
The aim of the Framework is to
provide for the integration of
sustainability principles into key areas
of policy, to put in place effective
implementation mechanisms and
deliver concrete measures to progress
sustainable development.
Environmental Goals
and Challenges
The focus of the EPA’s
2020 Vision
strategy (EPA, 2007) is on the
need for Ireland to deliver positive
environmental outcomes. This means
moving beyond the identification
of environmental problems towards
the active resolution of root causes.
To this end the EPA has identified six
key environmental goals to protect
and improve Ireland’s environment:
n
Limiting and adapting to climate
change.
Ireland will achieve major
reductions in GHG emissions
and will be prepared for the
unavoidable impact of climate
change
n
Clean air.
Our air will be healthy
and clean. Ireland’s emissions
to the atmosphere will meet all
international and national targets
n
Protected water resources.
Our
surface water and groundwater
will not be depleted and will
be of excellent quality, meeting
all national and international
standards
n
Protected soil and biodiversity.
The soil of Ireland will be
protected from contamination
and loss and will support
dependent plants and animals.
Our biodiversity will be protected
and managed for future
generations to enjoy
n
Sustainable use of resources.
The overall goal is a more
efficient use of resources (water,
energy and materials). Waste
will be prevented and minimised,
with the balance safely collected,
recycled or recovered. Final
disposal will be completed in
a way that does not harm the
environment