Session one of our 2023 annual climate conference

Session Two of our annual climate conference

The third session of our annual climate conference

Extrapolations is a new series on Apple TV+ that shows us our planet's future with the worsening impacts of climate change. Sean Kidney, the CEO of Climate Bonds Initiative, reacts to some of the critical moments in the series. From flooding in Miami to scorching heat in Mumbai, climate migration, water crisis, and health impacts, Sean breaks down how this all has happened and – more importantly – what we can do to avoid the worst of the climate crisis. Video courtesy of Apple TV+ Watch it here: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/extrapolations/umc.cmc.4uoqxmxlnipm9zsc88bkjyjx4 #extrapolations #apple #appletv #climatechange #climatecrisis #climateemergency #climateaction #sustainablefinance _____ About us: Climate Bonds Initiative is an international organisation working to mobilise global capital for climate action. We achieve this through the development of the Climate Bonds Standard and Certification Scheme, Policy Engagement and Market Intelligence work. We empower our Partner organisations with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate, influence and instigate change. Know more: https://climatebonds.net/ Follow us on socials: https://linktr.ee/climatebonds

The European Chemicals Agency's (ECHA) ongoing investigation into PVC has given rise to a number of misunderstandings, which are cleared up in this interview with Simone Doyle, who is responsible for the chemicals agency's risk assessments. Some have interpreted it as meaning that the EU Commission's intention to ask ECHA to investigate PVC means that a PVC ban is on the way. That is by no means the case. https://www.vinylplus.eu/news/interview-echas-simone-doyle-on-the-investigation-on-pvc-and-its-additives/

VinylPlus® is the European PVC industry’s commitment to sustainable development. Through VinylPlus, the European PVC industry is creating a long-term sustainability framework for the entire PVC value chain, improving PVC products’ sustainability and circularity and their contribution to a sustainable society. It covers the EU-27, Norway, Switzerland and the UK. Check out our 2022 activities in the Progress Report 2023: https://www.vinylplus.eu/our-achievements/progress-report-2023/

Ireland is projected to fall well short of our climate targets. • Ireland will achieve a reduction of 29% in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, much lower than our target of 51%. • Our electricity, transport, industry and agriculture sectors are all set to exceed their GHG emission limits for 2025 and 2030. • Ireland’s first two carbon goals (for 2021 and 2030) will not be met. They won’t even be close. • To tackle these worrying issues, Ireland needs to fully implement the actions in the 2023 Climate Action Plan that have been defined; firm up the actions that currently don’t have associated policies and measures, such as diversification in agriculture; and identify and implement further policies and measures. Read EPA's ‘GHG emissions projections for 2022-2040’ here: bit.ly/3qjUtdF

Project Title: Research 433: Sense and Purify (SPy): Detect, Destroy and Remove Water Contaminants Abstract: Many wastewater streams, such as those from the pharmaceutical and food industries or from municipal wastewater, for example, contain pollutants. The SPy project developed the eco-innovative ‘Sense and Purify’ (SPy) technology, which has significant advantages over traditional treatment processes, including low operations costs, significantly lower energy consumption, higher conversion efficiency, better effluent water quality and lower waste production. Download the report: All reports are available: https://www.epa.ie/publications/research/

The global stocktake is designed to ‘take stock’ of the implementation of the Paris Agreement and assess progress towards achieving the pact’s goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The global stocktake will provide critical information for countries and stakeholders to see what progress has been made on meeting the Paris Agreement goals, as well as identify any remaining gaps and opportunities for increased action.

We're broadcasting live from the Sustainable Living Stage at Bloom. EPA's Odile le Bolloch will share her tips and expertise on reducing food waste in a chat with Virginia O'Gara and Conor Spacey.

We were so pleased to be on the judging panel at last Friday's Young Environmentalist Awards. It was heartening to meet such a proactive and engaged group of students.

A presentation to operators on the purpose, scope and rollout of EPA's LEAP portal for access to Compliance and Enforcement information

This video is a guide for users who are interested in accessing Pollution Impact Potential (PIP) Maps on catchments.ie and the EPA Water Map. These maps include: PIP-N: Nitrate Critical Source Area (CSA) are where there is a source of N from agricultural areas and the land is susceptible to losses. This ‘High PIP’ (Rank 1, 2 or 3) is typically due to the presence of freely draining soils and moderate/high livestock intensity. PIP-P: Phosphorus Critical Source Area (CSA) are where there is a diffuse source of P from agricultural areas and the land is susceptible to losses. This ‘High PIP’ (Rank 1, 2 or 3) is typically due to the presence of poorly draining soils and moderate/high livestock intensity. PIP-P Flow delivery paths: Focused Delivery Flow Paths are the areas of converging runoff that results in an increasing accumulation of flow. It is important to consider the available source of phosphorus in these contributing areas when deciding whether to target measures (check the underlying PIP-CSA rank). The red flow paths have the highest surface runoff. Where these cross High PIP areas, expect higher P losses. This map was created from outputs from the EPA DiffuseTools Research Project. PIP-P Flow Delivery Points: Focused Flow Delivery Points are where Focused Flow Paths enter a watercourse. The size of the point indicates the relative volume of flow delivered to water. This map was created from outputs from the EPA DiffuseTools Research Project.

This informative video from the BioPOST project intends to provide an overview of BioPOST project that aims to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly plastics to address the real-world problems of current fossil-based plastics. The key definition of compostable plastics and their degradation mechanism is explained with simple guidance on their recycling process. Clear demarcation between biodegradable and compostable plastic products has been summarised to bring public awareness and social responsibility for proper recycling. BioPOST’s focus on using commercially available and indigenous novel biodegradable polymers to develop composites suitable for packaging applications has been presented through a glimpse of the production process of compostable and recyclable plastics. Sustainable end-of-life management options have also been covered, including separation from mixed plastic waste, recyclability, compostability and biodegradability under standard industrial conditions.

Healthy marine ecosystems are our allies in the fight against the climate and nature crises, but marine biodiversity is declining. The EU Nature Restoration Law is a legacy moment to restore the ocean and restore nature for generations to come. Watch this animated video on why it's important to restore the ocean, coasts, and other marine ecosystems. Find out more about our campaign to #RestoreOcean here: https://seas-at-risk.org/campaign/marine-protected-areas-from-paper-parks-to-effective-protection/

The Ocean Needs More Friends. The ocean makes up most of our planet, and plays a crucial role in our health and survival. Unfortunately this precious resource has been abused by humans for far too long. And now, more than ever, the ocean needs more friends. Join us as we rally 1 million friends of the ocean to fight plastic pollution and climate change so our ocean, waves and beaches are protected for generations to come. Visit https://www.surfrider.org/the-ocean-needs-more-friends to sign our pledge today and become a friend of the ocean. #TheOceanNeedsMoreFriends Music: “We’re Going To Be Friends”Performed by The White Stripes

The Ocean Needs More Friends. The ocean makes up most of our planet, and plays a crucial role in our health and survival. Unfortunately this precious resource has been abused by humans for far too long. And now, more than ever, the ocean needs more friends. Join us as we rally 1 million friends of the ocean to fight plastic pollution and climate change so our ocean, waves and beaches are protected for generations to come. Visit https://www.surfrider.org/the-ocean-needs-more-friends to sign our pledge today and become a friend of the ocean. #TheOceanNeedsMoreFriends Music: “We’re Going To Be Friends”Performed by The White Stripes

This video gives an overview of EPA Research 2030. More information can be viewed on our website: https://www.epa.ie/our-services/research/epa-research-2030/

All five chicks have hatched in Duhallow, Co Cork! A derelict cottage in Duhallow, Co Cork has been home to Barn Owls for at least ten years. Tune into @BirdWatchIreland 's live feed of the Barn Owl and her little ones here: it.ly/3mnFWMr

UN Climate Change on Twitter: twitter.com/UNFCCC UN Climate Change on Instagram: instagram.com/UNclimatechange UN Climate Change on Facebook: facebook.com/UNclimatechange The UNFCCC secretariat (UN Climate Change) is the United Nations entity tasked with supporting the global response to the threat of climate change. UNFCCC stands for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Convention has near universal membership (197 Parties) and is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Agreement. The main aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep the global average temperature rise this century as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The UNFCCC is also the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The ultimate objective of all three agreements under the UNFCCC is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system, in a time frame which allows ecosystems to adapt naturally and enables sustainable development. # # #UNClimateChange

The EPA Water Map has lots of information about water quality and quantity. It includes Water Framework Directive Status, Risk and Pressures. You can also see information about actions being taken to protect and restore water quality. You can find the map on www.catchments.ie 00:00 Introduction 00:15 Navigating the Water Map 02:13 Viewing data 02:51 How to use filters and manage layers 05:20 Viewing WFD Status 06:43 Searching for a water body 07:21 Taking Action - Catchment Stories 08:01 WFD Areas for Action 09:04 Catchment Projects 09:52 Targeting agricultural measures

Our planet is experiencing a biodiversity crisis. And the problem across the EU is also severe, with more than 80% of habitats in the EU now in a bad or poor conservation status. To reverse this alarming trend, the European Commission has proposed the Nature Restoration Law, which aims to restore at least 20% of EU land and sea by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. The proposed law sets specific nature recovery targets and timelines for achieving them. According to the draft law, EU countries would need to submit National Restoration Plans to show how they plan to deliver against the targets. Country plans would be based in their national circumstance. Jointly, these country plans would restore ecosystem services beneficial to human society across the EU and aid the recovery of sensitive habitats like peatlands, grasslands, dunes and wetlands. With the proposal now on the negotiating table, the conversation of how to address nature’s decline is heating up. As the European Commission, EU member states and European Parliament debate the specifics, some economic actors are actively lining up against the plan. In the latest “Green Deal – Big Deal?” podcast episode, the hosts Ricarda Faber and Aaron Best from Ecologic Institute speak with interview guests Humberto Delgado Rosa (Director for Biodiversity at the European Commission) and Sabien Leemans (Senior Biodiversity Policy Officer for WWF). We discuss the decline of nature in the EU, the reasons to protect biodiversity, and the current political debate that could decide the fate of the Nature Restoration Law and the species it seeks to protect. Listen to all episodes: The podcast is available on all relevant streaming platforms such as: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3NI6cdu Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3DMViys Web Player: https://bit.ly/3t4lsIf Join our webinars: Listening to our podcast is nice, but not enough for you? You are in luck! In addition to the podcast series, we are organizing a series of eight online events, targeting young Europeans aged 18-35. Enter the dialogue with us and our invited experts. We are keen to hear your questions, suggestions and ideas and discuss them together. Find more information here: https://bit.ly/3WGXHDJ Join our community: Website: https://www.greendealbigdeal.eu/ Mailing list: https://bit.ly/3TiVlaV Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greendealbigdeal/

Climate change litigation is on the rise globally. This event focused on a growing trend, highlighted by some recent cases, of the personalisation of climate litigation- starting from the scientific progress underpinning that evolution, then focusing on individual persons' rights to a safe climate, and eventually examining obligations to act on climate change. With: -Marta Torre-Schaub, Research director at the CNRS in environmental law, Sorbonne University and Sciences Po, Associate researcher at IDDRI -Michael Burger, Executive Director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University -Sarah Barker, Global Head of Climate Risk Governance at international law firm Minter Ellison -Moderated by Lola Vallejo, Director of the Climate programme, IDDRI

The European Commission has announced an overhaul of REACH, the legislation that regulates harmful chemicals in the European Union. A new video from the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) spells out how the current system allows dangerous chemicals to slip through the cracks, and our six demands to help get REACH back on track to better protect health and the environment. REACH provides the framework for how the EU registers, evaluates, authorises and restricts chemicals entering and in use on the European market. First introduced in 2007, REACH applies to all chemical substances produced and imported into the EU, from those used in industrial processes to the chemicals used in our clothes, furniture, electrical appliances, and more. But the reality is that REACH is neither efficiently, nor effectively being implemented. The regulatory process is riddled with many deficiencies and a lack of industry accountability. In fact, a recent report from the European Environmental Bureau found that it normally takes officials up to 13 years and 8 months to assess hazards of a single chemical substance. Well-known and -studied harmful substances such as bisphenol A, lead, and PVC are still widely present on the market today. Under the 2020 Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS), the European Commission committed to publish a proposal to reform REACH by the end of 2022. However, this deadline has been repeatedly extended, most recently to the end of 2023. It is critical that the European Commission’s commitment outlined in the Chemicals Strategy to swiftly and comprehensively revise REACH is met in order to make meaningful progress in achieving a healthier and more sustainable environment. Learn more about HEAL's work on chemicals and health by visiting our website: https://www.env-health.org/issues/tox... #EU_REACH #REACH #Chemicals #endocrinedisruptors #endocrinedisruptingchemicals #toxicchemicals #toxicfree