Members of the NIRN team attended the 22nd Environment Ireland Conference at Croke Park, joining policymakers, researchers, and sector leaders to address urgent environmental challenges, water resilience, and circular economy strategies.
Keynote Insights: Policy Priorities & All-Island Action
European Direction: Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, outlined three critical investment pillars: emissions reduction, biodiversity restoration, and water purity. Stressing water security after record summer temperatures, Roswall noted that policy must make it easier for stakeholders to drive tangible change.
Cross-Border Urgency: DAERA Minister Andrew Muir warned that the global “dashboard is flashing red,” calling for fundamental systemic reform. He emphasized an all-island collaborative approach to environmental management, reminding delegates that “what happens upstream affects communities downstream.”
Addressing Waste Realities & Industrial Challenges
Speakers repeatedly pointed to circular economic models as the single best framework to halt environmental degradation. However, EPA forecasts warn of significant hurdles in hitting 2030 targets due to rising waste generation across Northern Ireland and the Republic.
Construction Sector Focus: Highlighted as the single largest contributor to the waste stream. Speakers called for urgent EU-wide regulatory indicators, aggressive material reuse targets, and reduced dependence on raw material imports.
Practical Standouts: Industrial Innovation & Grassroots Action
Two sessions stood out for demonstrating how circular strategy moves from concept to real-world execution:
Valentina Tarasco (Irish Manufacturing Research): Showcased three practical circular metrics case studies Green IT (a WEEE take-back scheme), HaPPE (medical-grade compostable PPE transformed into fertilizers and biofuels), and BladeBridge (repurposing decommissioned wind turbine blades into infrastructure like bus shelters and bridges).
Tad Kirakowski (VOICE Ireland): Focused on community-driven resource conservation through the ‘Waste Not, Want Not’ initiative a joint project between VOICE Ireland, Clonakilty Tidy Towns, and Clonakilty Community Resource Centre. The project delivered 70 workshops, 6 festival collaborations, 6 pilot projects, 2 town-wide business initiatives, and launched a brand-new Apple Festival (see the end-of-project video).
