Sustainable Development Goal 12 calls for a comprehensive set of actions from policy-makers, businesses, researchers and consumers to adapt to sustainable practices. It envisions sustainable production and consumption based on advanced technological capacity, resource efficiency and reduced waste.
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) is the lead Department for Goal 12.
The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy (2020) sets a roadmap for achieving sustainability through shifting focus away from waste disposal to looking at how we can preserve resources by creating a circular economy. A Waste Action Plan Advisory Group has also been established, consisting of relevant stakeholders from the economic, environmental and social sectors. The Group assisted in the compilation of the new Plan by guiding strategic thinking and decision making and will assist in implementing the commitments in the Plan.
A specific commitment in the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy was a Whole-of-Government Circular Economy Strategy 2022-2023 ‘Living More, Using Less’, which was published by DECC in 2021. The purpose of this high-level, all-of-government strategy is to set a course for Ireland to transition across all sectors and at all levels of government toward circularity. Policy coherence across government will ensure all policy levers are set towards the same, sustainable objectives. The Strategy provides a policy framework for Ireland’s ambition to become one of the leaders in relation to the Circular Economy in Europe.
The EPA’s Circular Economy Programme (2021-2027) will be the driving force for Ireland’s move to a circular economy, where businesses, citizens and the public sector reduce resource use, prevent waste and achieve sustainable economic growth.
Management of waste responsibly and sustainably to reduce waste generation are particular SDG targets outlined in the Climate Action Plan 2021.
On 27 January 2022, DECC launched a public consultation on Ireland’s draft National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap. The draft Roadmap sets out a series of actions - to ultimately halve our food waste by 2030. The finalised Roadmap is due for publication in Q3 2022.
The Circular Economy Bill is currently before the Oireachtas and is due to be enacted before the end of July 2022. The Bill when enacted will provide a statutory basis for various actions discussed in the Waste Action Plan, Strategy and Roadmap.
Ireland’s annual financial contributions to the Global Environment Facility and to the UN Environment Programme provide support to sustainability projects globally.
The promotion of public procurement processes that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities is included in the current Programme for Government and mandates the inclusion of green criteria in all procurements using public funds. The EPA published the updated Green Public Procurement Guidance for the Public Sector in September 2021 with guidance for ten priority sectors.
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