Publication
Resource Efficiency Action Plans
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
A Resource Efficiency Action Plan (REAP) is the result of an on-site assessment or audit of how an organisation uses its energy, water and waste resources.
All Government Departments are required to prepare a REAP on an annual basis as part of a Government commitment to green Government Departments. We plan to extend the REAP process to State Agencies in the near future.
Each Department assesses how effectively they use their resources and they make recommendations based on their findings. Some examples of audit recommendations are:
- Upgrade office lighting with energy efficient alternatives
- Optimise use of Building Management Systems controls
- Remove general waste bins from individual desks
- Increase number of bins for recycling and composting
- Reduce flow rates on taps
- Discontinue use of single use plastics throughout organisation
- Establish in-house Green Team from staff and management representatives
- Green Team to devise and implement Green Action Plan
- Reflect and promote the organisation's green credentials as part of its corporate identity
All 19 Government Departments have been asked to complete a REAP for 2020 by the end of February 2021. In order to assist with this process, a webinar was held in November 2020 and updated guidance on how to complete a REAP and reporting templates have been prepared, including an example of a completed REAP template.
For more information email GreenGov@decc.gov.ie
Our current Plan examines how we use resources in three key areas – energy, water and waste.
The Plan commits us to specific actions across these areas, alongside transport, which will result in a reduction in use of these resources and a decrease in our carbon impact.
While there are there are a lot of simple, low cost, actions we have taken and can continue, we now need to intensify our efforts as an organisation. This is why the REAP commits us to pursue accreditation for ISO 500001 for structured energy management and ISO 14001 for environmental management.
The Department Green Team and its ongoing employee engagement process will ensure the targets set out in the REAP are fully implemented so we can significantly reduce the environmental impacts of the Department's activities.
The Environmental Protection Agency created a Green Business Resource Efficiency Tool to help you assess the level of resource efficiency in your company.
Completing the survey will allow the EPA Green Business team to provide you with quick and useful feedback on what you can do to make your business more efficient and reduce costs.