The ESRI report, Environment Review 2012, presents projections of environmental emissions such as greenhouse gases, waste generation, and nutrients from agriculture covering the period to 2030. Greenhouse Gas Emissions:  Ireland will comply with its Kyoto Protocol target covering the period 2008-2012 but compliance with longer term targets will be much more difficult.  Without significant policy...

A new Joint Research Centre (JRC) report provides key information for policy makers and business managers on how to assess the environmental impacts of products and services through more consistent and better quality life cycle assessments. Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) helps to assess the sustainability of supply chains, use, and end-of-life management options for goods...

Business can save money through informed pollution prevention. Prevention is more efficient and economically viable than non-compliance with legal requirements. ECOS helps all types of businesses to cost effectively prevent pollution and comply with legal requirements. ✓         Reduce the input of materials and energy ✓         Minimize the amount of waste for treatment and disposal ✓        ...

The European Commission is launching a €34.8 million call for eco-innovation projects. The call is open to eco-innovative products, techniques, services and processes that aim to prevent or reduce environmental impacts, or which contribute to the optimal use of resources.  This year’s call has five main priority areas: materials recycling water sustainable building products green...

The reuse of greywater and rainwater gains in importance due to high prices for public supplies of water. For greywater systems to become accepted, it is important to ensure good water quality and to minimize the potential risks associated with reusing the water. Testing of greywater systems can be carried out to the following existing...

The Limerick/Clare/Kerry Region, through the Regional Waste Management office, has signed up to participate in a European wide waste recycling project. The region has become an active partner in the “Regions 4 Recycling” Interreg IVC European Project, a partnership initiative comprising 12 European Regions with the ambitious target to promote regional contributions towards a European...

The European Union possesses five key funding opportunities to support research and innovation: the Research Framework Programme, the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme, the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund within the Cohesion policy; the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Fisheries Fund within the Rural development policy and the Common Fisheries...

SMEs should be aware of funding schemes that encourage Irish organisations to research and bring to market more environmentally sustainable technologies and processes. FP7 is the European Commissions 7th Framework Programme for research. It runs from 2007 – 2013 and has funds of over €50 billion allocated for research activities in this period. The main...

Greywater is water which has been used for washing and can potentially be reused rather than discharged down the drain. Grey water includes water from laundry, dishwashers, baths, showers, hand washing etc, but does not include toilet waste. Kitchen sink waste water often contains traces of grease, fats, meat, fish, and oils and may not...

The global water footprint standard is contained in the Water Footprint Assessment Manual which can be downloaded for free. The book offers a complete and up-to-date overview of the global standard on water footprint assessment as developed by the Water Footprint Network.  It: Provides a comprehensive set of methods for water footprint assessment Shows how...