Sustainable NI, in partnership with NILGA, organised a 'Global Goals, Local Action' roundtable event on 23 November 2018 at Bangor Castle. The event was to raise awareness about the UN Sustainable Development Goals and how they can be implemented at a local level. The event was attended by Elected Members, council officers and public sector representatives along with representatives from the voluntary and private sectors.
Ards and North Down Borough Council could be the first in NI to have seabins
Tuesday 13 November 2018
The Council is looking into the purchase of three seabins to be located around the Ards and North Down coast. Its 110 miles of coastline draws tourism as a result of its waterways, harbours and marinas and this initiative will help in the fight against the eight million pieces of plastic that find their way into oceans daily, making the sea a cleaner and safer place for both residents and local marine wildlife.
"Exploding human consumption" has caused a massive drop in global wildlife populations in recent decades, the WWF conservation group says. In its Living Planet Report, the charity says losses in vertebrate species - mammals, fish, birds, amphibians and reptiles - averaged 60% between 1970 and 2014. It urges policy makers to set new targets for sustainable development.
Final call to save the world from 'climate catastrophe'
Tuesday 16 October 2018
After three years of research and a week of haggling between scientists and government officials at a meeting in South Korea, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has issued a special report on the impact of global warming of 1.5C. Their dramatic report on keeping that rise under 1.5 degrees C says the world is now completely off track, heading instead towards 3C. Keeping to the preferred target of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels will mean "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society". It will be hugely expensive - but the window of opportunity remains open.
Local Government Awards: Winner of Excellence in Environmental Sustainability
Tuesday 16 October 2018
The winning entry at the Gala Awards Evening on 11 Octover 2018 was Derry City and Strabane District Council for their CLIMATE project. This project will tackle climate change on local and regional levels using models of best practice to develop climate adaptation plans for the district. This €1.3m project is part funded by the ERDF Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme 2014-2020 and Derry City and Strabane District Council is the lead partner.
Northern Ireland falling behind on climate commitments
Wednesday 18 July 2018
In late June the UK Committee for Climate Change published its annual report to Parliament on how we are progressing towards legally-binding emissions reduction targets. The Climate Change Act is UK-wide and the report provides details on greenhouse gas emissions for each part of the country. The report shows that despite targets for greenhouse gas reductions, last year Northern Ireland saw an increase in emissions. The report warns that unless action is taken now, the public faces an unnecessarily expensive deal to make the shift to a low-carbon economy.
Ireland set to be first country to end investment in fossil fuels
Monday 16 July 2018
Ireland is set to become the first country to stop public investments in fossil fuels as the landmark 'Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill' was passed by Dáil Éireann. The bill will force the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund to end any investments in non-renewable energy in five years. The new legislation is intended to help ensure Ireland meets its commitments under the Paris Agreement, which was the first deal to unite the international community in tackling climate change.
Government must embed SDGs into Brexit strategy, report urges
Wednesday 4 July 2018
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be placed at the heart of the UK's Brexit strategy, according to a new report stating that government policy is performing inadequately across three-quarters of the targets listed under goals. The report, published 3 July by the UK Stakeholders for Sustainable Development (UKSSD), gathered insight from more than 100 businesses, charities, trade unions and government agencies to outline current legislative actions against the SDGs.
Irish coffee company Frank and Honest goes compostable
Friday 22 June 2018
Irish coffee company Frank and Honest is to become the first national brand to move to 100 per cent compostable coffee cups. Frank and Honest, available in selected SuperValu, Centra and Mace stores, will replace all non-recyclable single-use coffee cups with a new compostable cup and lid from September 2018. The new initiative has the potential to divert millions of coffee cups from landfill annually.
London Mayor orders Europe's largest electric bus fleet
Friday 22 June 2018
In a bid to combat toxic air levels polluting the capital, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has moved to increase the number of electric double-deckers in London more than ten-fold, with the vehicles set to be added to Transport for London’s (TfL) fleet in summer 2019.
