SW News
Reasons To Be Cheerful
Leave Your Ego at the Door
With the days getting shorter, the evenings drawing in and the country in the midst of a second Level 5 lockdown, you’d be forgiven for slumping into a pit of darkness and despair! To keep spirits up, this month’s newsletter is bringing you only GOOD news. Because believe it or not, there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful. Here are just a few:
The first draft of Ireland’s Climate Action Bill is working its way through the Oireachtas, setting the country on course for carbon neutrality by 2050.
The EU is standing firm on its commitment to a green recovery, sticking to stringent emission reduction targets and directing 30% of the EU Recovery Fund towards climate action.
Honda is to stop selling new diesel cars in the UK this year and phase out petrol cars by 2022 – three years earlier than planned.
A new coral reef has been discovered at the northern tip of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the first such discovery in 120 years.
You see, good things ARE actually happening amidst the crises. There are some flickers of light in the dark. So just for today, let’s look on the bright side and give ourselves some much needed hope.
P.S. We’re not even mentioning the US election – too busy holding our breath!
Our October Top 5
- Drawdown Labs: Project Drawdown – the leading source of information on climate solutions – has launched Drawdown Labs, a consortium of visionary private sector partners who will experiment with collaborative ways to address climate change at an unprecedented scale both within and outside their own operations. This could be a game changer. (Drawdown Labs)
- ESG funds forecast to outnumber conventional funds: According to research by PwC, ESG funds could experience a more than threefold jump in assets by 2025, increasing their share of the European fund sector from 15 per cent to 57 per cent. (FT.com)
- What China’s carbon neutral commitment means for the world: In September, China’s President Xi Jinping announced that the country would become carbon neutral by 2060. This article considers the monumental task ahead for the country that currently burns half the world’s coal but is also the largest investor, producer and consumer of renewable energy. (The Guardian)
- Michael D’s rallying cry to Ireland’s Engineers: In his speech at the annual Engineers Ireland conference earlier this month the Irish President, Michael D Higgins, spoke passionately about the climate challenge, the need for a new economic paradigm, and the critical role engineers have to play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. (President.ie)
- Irish people want deposit return scheme: A poll commissioned by environmental charity Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment (VOICE) found that 88 per cent of people in the Republic of Ireland are in favour of an ‘all-in’ deposit return scheme (DRS) which would enable them to return a wide variety of drinks containers from plastic and glass bottles, to cans and coffee cups.(Resource.co)
Quote of the Month
Communications Inspiration: No Small Plan
Report: Financing the Circular Economy
Spotlight: Climate-KIC Accelerator
The EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator, which takes place in 14 countries across Europe, is a 12-month programme giving cleantech start-ups the knowledge, resources, tools and mentoring they need for success. Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace runs the Irish programme and SustainabilityWorks helps to deliver it and provide mentoring to the start-ups. This year’s cohort are an impressive bunch. They include a company with a solution to cigarette butt waste, one with a mobile digital recycling facility, and one offering an innovative solution to the environmental impact of online fashion retail.
What We’ve Been Up To
What We’re Watching
Purple Mountains is a documentary worth a watch. Professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones has seen winters change drastically during his 45 years spent in the US mountains. In this film he explores the differing views on climate change among Democrats and Republicans and seeks to find common ground, through an appreciation of the great outdoors, in the heart of America’s purple states.
We also loved My Octopus Teacher on Netflix, a beautiful and touching documentary about the relationship forged between a film maker and a curious octopus. If you need any reminding of the sheer breathtaking wonder of the natural world, watch this film.
Sustainability Jobs
- Research, Development and Innovation Lead – Codema
- Head of Innovation Programme and Governance – Glanbia
- Sustainability Analyst – Commercial Property Investment Fund
