Engineers Ireland, the professional membership body for engineers in Ireland, has welcomed the revised Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021.
The Bill, which will establish a legally binding framework with clear targets and commitments set in law, will see Ireland become a climate resilient, biodiversity-rich, environmentally sustainable and climate-neutral economy by 2050 under revised legislation.
Highlighting the importance of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill, which includes a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this decade; multi-year carbon budgets and strengthening the role of the Climate Change Advisory Council, Caroline Spillane, Director General of Engineers Ireland, said: “Climate breakdown and biodiversity collapse are the most serious issues of our time. Engineers Ireland strongly advocates for the principles and practices of sustainable development and welcomes the ambition of the Climate Action Bill which will provide the framework for Ireland to meet its international and EU climate commitments.
“Ireland’s engineers have a critical role, and an ethical obligation to play in the transition to a more sustainable, carbon-free society and will use their ingenuity and problem-solving abilities to tackle the greatest challenge faced by modern humanity. Engineers Ireland will continue to support our 25,000 strong engineering community in developing a more sustainable society now and for future generations,” Ms Spillane added.
Prof. Barry McMullin of the Faculty of Engineering and Computing at DCU and an Engineers Ireland spokesperson said: “The planet has ecological limits and a finite ecological capacity, therefore a paradigm shift is required to realign humanity’s planetary impacts within this capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated our ability to make dramatic improvements for the good of society, including rapid innovation in healthcare technology and the built environment. Through the publication of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 and its implementation, there is a real opportunity now to make sustainability and climate action central to Ireland’s recovery, in order to reduce human impact on the environment while improving quality of life for all.”
To read more about Engineers Ireland’s commitment to sustainability, visit: https://www.engineersireland.ie/About-Us/Our-Strategy/Sustainability
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Notes to the Editor
- Engineers Ireland endorses the UN Sustainable Development Goals to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.
- The resolution at its Council Meeting to declare a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency, in 2020, also reflects the urgency and the role of engineers in that effort. Engineers Ireland's declaration of a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency can be found here: https://www.engineersireland.ie/About-Us/Our-Strategy/Sustainability
- Engineers Ireland's own Sustainability Framework structures a whole-of-organisation approach aligned with core objectives: Learn (professional formation and development), Live (operations), Lead (advocacy and regulation) and Link (collaboration). Engineers Ireland's Sustainability Framework is here: https://www.engineersireland.ie/About-Us/Our-Strategy/Sustainability
- Its approach to sustainability includes the resilience of our built and natural environment in the face of extreme weather (climate adaptation), the need to reduce emissions related to our buildings, vehicles and infrastructure (climate mitigation), biodiversity protection and enhancement, and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.