Ireland's UN SDGs - Goal 12 Responsible Consumption and Production 2021

SDG 12.1.1 Number of countries developing, adopting or implementing policy instruments aimed at supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production - published information from the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is presented in this section.

Sustainable Production and Consumption Policies

The publication ‘Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy’ is the current national waste policy (published September 2020).  This sets out measures to drive circularity in Ireland.  The policy notes that the circular economy can contribute to a number of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals including SDG 12.

A ‘Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy‘ (published December 2021), the EPA's Circular Economy Programme (published December 2021) and the in preparation National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy, led by local authority Regional Waste Management Planning Offices (to be published later in 2022), are all measures arising from the 2020 waste policy and all link in to implementation of SDG 12.

Also, the Climate Action Plans 2019 and 2021 reference SDGs and is another policy framework reference. 

Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy

Information here on the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy publication is from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications website which states:

"The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy is Ireland’s new roadmap for waste planning and management.  We need to embed climate action in all strands of public policy.  This Plan shifts focus away from waste disposal and looks instead to how we can preserve resources by creating a circular economy.

The previous national waste policy, A Resource Opportunity – Waste management policy in Ireland, drove delivery on national targets under EU legislation, but the Irish and international waste context has changed in the years since its launch.  A public consultation process on the new policy was completed in February 2020 with almost 300 responses received.  A Waste Action Plan Advisory Group was also established, consisting of relevant stakeholders from the economic, environmental and social sectors.  The group assisted in the compilation of the new policy by guiding strategic thinking and decision making.

The Plan fulfils our commitment in the Programme for Government to publish and start implementing a new National Waste Action Plan.  This new national waste policy will inform and give direction to waste planning and management in Ireland over the coming years.  It will be followed later this year by an All of Government Circular Economy Strategy.

The Plan outlines the contribution of the sector to the achievement of a number of other national plans and policies including the Climate Action Plan.  It also matches the level of ambition being shown across the European Union through the European Green Deal, which encompasses a range of actions supporting circularity and sustainability.  To support the policy, regulation is already being used (Circular Economy Legislative Package), or in the pipeline (Single Use Plastics Directive).

The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy sets out a range of aims and targets for the State and the measures by which these will be achieved, including increased regulation and measures across various waste areas such as Circular Economy, Municipal Waste, Consumer Protection and Citizen Engagement, Plastics and Packaging, Construction and Demolition, Textiles, Green Public Procurement and Waste Enforcement".

SDG 12.2.1 Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP is published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

SDG 12.2.2 Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP is published by the CSO, Environment and Climate division in the Material Flow Account 2019 release.

Material Flow Accounts 2019 - CSO

The general purpose of economy-wide material flow accounts (MFA) is to describe the interaction of the domestic economy with the natural environment and the rest of the world economy in terms of flows of materials.  Only flows crossing the system boundary, as inputs from the environment into the economy or as outputs from the economy into the environment, are counted.  Material flows within the economy are not taken into account.

Material inputs to the economy cover extractions of materials (excluding water) from the natural environment and imports of goods.  Material outputs are disposals of materials to the natural environment and exports of goods.

Domestic Material Consumption was estimated at 121.67 million tonnes in 2019 which was 3.45 million tonnes or 2.9% higher than in 2018.

The Domestic Material Consumption of non-metallic minerals increased by 7.16 million tonnes or 13.6% between 2018 and 2019 whereas that of fossil fuels fell by 4.23 million tonnes or 22.1%.  See Table 4.2.