Ireland could slash emissions by embracing circular economy – study

Widespread adoption of circular economy principles such as reuse and recycling could reduce Ireland’s carbon emissions by up to 32 per cent, according to a new report.
The circularity gap report, commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, analyses the country’s material consumption and carbon profile. It looks at the so-called the bioeconomy, built environment and manufactured goods.
Irish people consume 22 tonnes of raw materials per person per year, surpassing both the European average of 17 tonnes per capita and the estimated sustainable level of 8 tonnes per capita, it finds.
Rapid economic growth led to a surge in material consumption in Ireland which has put increasing pressure on ecosystems within the country and abroad, “driving the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution”.
It highlights the fact that plastic waste generation has more than doubled in just 10 years. “Moreover, Ireland is one of the few EU countries where territorial emissions have only recently started to decline relative to 1990 levels,” it adds.
The report by Circle Economy in the Netherlands outlines pathways to reduce material consumption by 29 per cent and cut emissions by 32 per cent, while tripling the country’s circularity rate from 2.7 to 8.4 per cent.
Circular strategies in construction – such as retrofitting, using bio-based materials and repurposing vacant spaces – could deliver reduce material usage by 12.6 per cent and cut emissions by 17.3 per cent, it finds.
“However, if business as usual continues, the sector’s carbon footprint is expected to increase fivefold by 2030. This makes construction a priority area for targeted policies,” it concludes.
The report recommends accelerating the shift to sustainable and organic farming practices, increasing forest cover and addressing labour shortages and skills gaps in the sectors. Adopting recommended measures “could reduce Ireland’s environmental impacts while maintaining” high living standards, it says.
Meanwhile Ibec body Forest Industries Ireland (FII) has said the Government and construction sector should look to other countries who have already adopted sustainable building practices to ensure faster house construction to meet demand.
In a presentation on Wednesday, FII said despite growing awareness of climate change and need for sustainable practices, Ireland lags behind other European countries in adopting green construction methods. Timber frame houses can be built in a third of the time of a masonry house and it is the majority residential building method across Europe, it added.
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“Ireland has the resources and potential to embrace timber construction and set an example for green building practices. The conifer forests planted in the 1980s and 90s have reached maturity and provide a huge material resource,” FII director Mark McAuley said. The Government should lead the way in sustainable construction by sponsoring demonstrator projects and launching green public procurement initiatives in the construction sector, he added, “especially in public building projects such as schools, community centres and social housing schemes”.