Climate Action Plan
Introduction
The CIF has broadly welcomed the publication of the Government’s ‘Climate Action Plan 2019’ as a very positive statement of intent on behalf of the Government.
Among the plan’s goals are the retrofitting of 500,000 homes to B2 level, and the installation of heat pumps in 400,000 homes and businesses. If Government estimates are right, the retrofitting of 500,000 homes could quadruple the size of the Irish retrofit market to €600m per annum.
Climate Action Plan
Green Procurement
Green Public Procurement (GPP) is a process where public authorities seek to source goods, services or works with a reduced environmental impact. It is expected that such criteria will soon become part of client requirements within tender documents and associated scoring metrics.
The CIF’s Procurement, Tendering and Contractual Matters Committee recently published its “Guide to Supporting Green Construction”. The guide is designed to reflect the Government’s policy on climate change and the Environment Protection Agency’s Green Public Procurement Guide, as published in 2020.
According to CIF Main Contracting, “True change can only be achieved if we make a concerted and collective effort to move away from CO2 heavy practices and materials with the support of clients and designers making more enlightened, greener choices with sustainability in mind from design to delivery”.
Construction Waste Resource Group
A Construction Waste Resource Group was established in 2019 to include representation by the Dept. of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Dept. of Communications, Climate Change & Environment, the EPA, the CIF, the IHBA and other stakeholders. The management of soil and stone as a by-product and end-of-waste determinations are deemed priority items. For more information, please contact the CIF department for Housing, Planning & Development.
EPA By-Product Notification System
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has provided Guidance on Classification and Notification of Soil and Stone as a By-Product, in the context of Article 27 of the European Communities (Waste Directive) Regulations 2011, S.I. No. 126 of 2011. It is a requirement to make an article 27 notification to the EPA regarding the generation of soil and stone as a by-product, cognizant of the following:
- ‘Only a producer can decide whether a material is a by-product of their own production process. The hauler or user of the material cannot decide this’.
- Producers and users of by-products should wait for the EPA’s agreement that a material is correctly classified as a by-product before producing or using it. Failure to wait could result in an unauthorised waste activity at the use/destination site and the material having to be returned as a waste to the producer.
- In this context, the use or deposit of excavated soil and stone at any site will be regarded as a potentially polluting activity and as a waste activity until evidence to the contrary is provided & accepted by the EPA.
- It is an offence to present false and misleading information to the EPA. Any instances will be investigated and enforcement action, including prosecution, may follow’.
In January of 2022, the EPA upgraded to a new online by-product notification system called EDEN to handle all by-product notifications going forward. The system should streamline the process for notifiers who will now be able to see in real time the status of their application. Whether a material is a ‘by-product’, or a ‘waste’ must be decided on a case-by-case basis in consideration of the full circumstances. For more information, please contact the CIF department for Housing, Planning & Development.
Resource & Waste Management Plans
The Best Practice Guidelines on the Preparation of Resource & Waste Management Plans for Construction and Demolition Projects was recently revised and highlights best practice in the prevention and management of C&D Wastes and resources from design through to construction and deconstruction.
Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, all members states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, aimed at achieving peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. Central to this policy are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).