Press release
Industry has a vital role to play to tackle climate disruption – Bruton and Humphreys
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton TD, and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, this morning outlined the government's plans to reduce harmful emissions from industry at an industry meeting held in Dublin Castle.
They also took the opportunity to launch Pillar 5 of Future Jobs Ireland, the whole-of-Government strategy to prepare our businesses and workers for the future. Pillar 5 focuses on the transition to a low carbon economy, and how Government and businesses can work together to ensure that our country is ready for the opportunities and challenges this presents. It is aligned with and complements the Climate Action Plan.
Minister Richard Bruton said:
"Irish enterprise has failed to break the link between economic prosperity and damaging greenhouse gas emissions.
"To be competitive in a global economy which is adjusting rapidly requires that Irish enterprise be early movers and integrate climate action into their strategic planning.
"Enterprises who fail to adapt will be uncompetitive in a changed world. There are huge opportunities for business in buildings, in transport, in smart technologies, and in waste management to reduce their costs.
"Big opportunities for enterprise will open up in renewables, in retrofitting and in the bioeconomy. Sectors will need to recognise the opportunities that will exist and build clusters of best practice.
"Capital must also be mobilised to deliver these changes and the financial services sector will have to be particularly innovative."
Minister Humphreys said:
"As we know, the move to a low carbon economy presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses. It will radically change important sectors of the economy – including some existing jobs roles – while also presenting new opportunities to firms on the cutting edge of the transition.
"Under Future Jobs Ireland, we will be making sure that we have the right skillsets and infrastructure in place to meet the challenges and realise the opportunities.
"As part of the overall strategy, we will introduce 'Transition Teams' to help businesses and workers to develop and prepare for the challenges ahead.
"We want to be able to put the necessary supports in place now to help workers transition and take up new job opportunities in the future."
There are a number of key actions in the Climate Action Plan.
We will work with enterprise to:
To help enterprise making the transition, and to take advantage of the opportunities which will arise in a low carbon economy, the enterprise agencies will do the following:
The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation will also work closely with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to, for example:
Under the Climate Action Plan, the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and its agencies will also engage with the cement and food and drink industry sectors to identify measures to support the achievement of identified potential abatement in these sectors.
ENDS
Future Jobs Ireland is a Government of Ireland initiative with deliverables assigned across a range of government departments and agencies.
Future Jobs Ireland incorporates five pillars as set out below (along with some illustrative examples):
1. Embracing innovation and technological change – This includes supports, policies and initiatives that promote and enable RD&I among enterprise; encourage digitalisation; and support the development and adoption of technology.
2.Improving SME productivity – This includes supports, policies and initiatives that enhance productivity, especially among SMEs; promote indigenous entrepreneurship, especially in the regions; encourage clustering and stronger links between domestic and foreign owned firms; and assist businesses to move up the value chain.
3.Enhancing skills and developing and attracting talent – This includes supports, policies and initiatives that enhance Ireland's human capital offering, including in areas such as ICT and management skills; develop Irelands' vocational and third level institutions; improve Lifelong Learning rates, and ETB initiatives that enable disadvantaged groups to return to the workforce.
4.Increasing participation in the labour force – this includes supports, policies or initiatives focused on improving labour market participation, especially among young people, older workers, women and people with disabilities; improving the supply and cost of childcare; enabling more flexible working arrangements; and streamlining immigration procedures.
5.Transitioning to a low carbon economy – this includes supports, policies or initiatives aimed at expanding renewable energy generation; retrofitting of buildings to improve energy efficiency; roll-out of electric vehicles; and enterprise / employment opportunities in the green/circular/bio economy.
Each Pillar sets high level targets for 2025. Overall, Future Jobs Ireland 2019 includes 26 meaningful and impactful ambitions supported by 127 deliverables for completion in 2019.