LAST UPDATE | 16 May 2023
DISPOSABLE CUPS, PLATES and cutlery will no longer be used in public sector canteens under a new climate action mandate brought before Cabinet today.
Minister for Climate and the Environment Eamon Ryan received Cabinet approval this morning for the ‘Public Sector Climate Action Mandate 2023’.
The mandate highlights the main climate action objectives for public sector bodies and outlines a range of actions to be taken to help reduce Ireland’s emissions by 51% by 2030, as set out in the Climate Action Plan.
It will apply to all public sector bodies covered by decarbonisation targets, except for local authorities, commercial semi-state bodies and the school sector, and will be reviewed annually by the relevant departments.
Under the mandate, disposable cups, plates and cutlery will only be used in clinical or health settings, such as a coffee shop in a hospital.
Other actions include the promotion of the use of push bikes, electric bikes and shared mobility through secure bike parking facilities, shared mobility parking and charging stations.
The mandate states that the use of parking in public sector buildings will be phased out over time, but only if there is access to good transport services or there are mobility sharing options for the majority of staff or visitors.
Parking will be maintained for people with physical mobility issues or staff who may work shifts or out of hours.
The buying or leasing of only zero-emission vehicles where possible will be encouraged, though it acknowledges that this may not be immediately possible with heavy-duty vehicles.
The installation of heating systems that use fossil fuels in new buildings or renovation/retrofit projects will also cease after this year under the mandate.
Ryan and Minister of State for green procurement Ossian Smyth launched the mandate at Tom Johnson House this afternoon.
Tom Johnson House is currently being deep retrofitted as the new home of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
Speaking to reporters at the launch this afternoon, Minister Ryan said the mandate is “requiring all our departments, all the main agencies in the state, to play their part in halving our emissions this decade”.
The mandate requires the public sector “to switch our buildings to renovate them so that we save money and save energy, to change the way we move around, to really promote active travel and make sure every workplace is an easy place to get to, a safe place to get to”.
“But also to really show leadership. Every management team having someone who’s a Climate Champion, making sure that each government department, each agency of the state is really thinking about this setting the highest standards,” he said,
He said that the Tom Johnson House in the past would have been demolished before the site was repurposed but instead the original structure has been maintained to reduce the production of emissions.
“This building from the 70s was formerly a G-rated building. It’s now A2 [and] using heat pumps rather than fossil fuels.
“From now on, we not replace fossil with fossil – we use heat pumps, we use low carbon energy solutions.
“From now on, in public bodies, we replace diesel with electric wherever we can. There may be certain exceptions where you can’t, but setting that as the standard, the norm,” he said.
Contains reporting by Lauren Boland
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