Presentation of Work Programme Discussion Document

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Presentation of Work Programme Discussion Document
Comhar SDC Plenary 9th April 2009
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Presentation objectives

• Present current Work Programme discussion
  document to Council Members
• Summary of points arising from Wed workshop
• Invite input from Council
• Reach agreement on content of Work Programme
  2009-2011

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Structure of WP Document

• Introduction sets context
• Delivery of Work Programme and Engagement with
  key Stakeholders
• Agreed Programme for Government and Building
  Irelands Smart Economy
• National Sustainable Development Strategy and
  longer-term Perspectives
• Priority Work Areas
• Working Groups
• Annual Budget
• Review and Annual Report

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2. Delivery of Work Programme and Engagement with
key Stakeholders

• Criteria for Work programme delivery and
  priorities
• Value added to existing work by avoiding
  duplication of work being carried out by other
  bodies
• Policy relevance of issues, with a view to
  positioning itself at the developmental end of
  policy or identifying policy gaps
• Proposing cost-effective solutions
• Sound, evidence-based analysis
• Identification of potential for public
  engagement and
• Use of its unique nature and the strength of its
  broad representation to come to informed and
  balanced perspectives and recommendations.

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2. Delivery of Work Programme and Engagement with
key Stakeholders

• Engagement with stakeholders
• Research in-house secretariat and commissioning
  of external research and briefing papers
• Conferences and periodic workshops
• Publication of evidence-based research for
  Council consideration as policy recommendations
• Sustainable development media awards
• Sponsorship and occasional support for national
  sustainability events
• Website

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Examples of Previous Work and Impacts(1) Cap and
Share

• Cap and Share proposal from FEASTA 2007
• Council agreement to explore and commission
  research 2007/2008
• AEA Technology and Cambridge Econometrics
  commissioned co-funded by EPA and Department of
  Transport
• Steering Group of Council members and co-funders
• Stakeholder workshop of Council members,
  stakeholders, experts summer 2008
• Published report November 2008 providing concrete
  assessment of potential of scheme to reduce GHG
  emissions.
• Council approval of recommendations arising
  December 2008.
• Dissemination of report by Comhar SDC and NGOs.

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Comhar SDC recommendations Cap and Share scheme

• A combination of a cap and share and carbon tax
  schemes should be considered in the medium to
  longer term
• Fossil fuel usage from households could be
  covered by a cap and share scheme
• Carbon tax levied on non-ETS businesses revenue
  from the carbon tax recycled back to
  energy-efficient activities and innovation in
  businesses.
• Working party needed to make recommendations on
  implementation of a cap and share scheme.
• Particular attention should be given to
• (i) integration of a cap and share scheme with
  other policies, for example in Northern Ireland,
  and the resulting impact on fuel tourism
• (ii) whether rural dwellers and other vulnerable
  groups would require additional compensation and
  
• (iii) to assess the administrative requirements
  and costs of such a scheme.
• Cap and Share scheme should be based on the PPS
  system and electoral roll, with consideration
  given to the treatment of children.

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(2) Sustainable travel and transport action plan
Comhar SDC recommendations May 2008

• February 2007 Indication from sources within
  the Department of Transport that they were
  developing a Sustainable Travel and Transport
  Action Plan (STTAP).
• March 2007 Research followed by Comhar SDC
  scoping paper on sustainable transport.
• June 2007 - approval by Council for Sustainable
  Transport working group
• June 2007 cycling seminar involving
  international experts and stakeholders held in
  Comhar SDC. Recommendations by Comhar SDC drafted
  on this topic.
• August 2007 first sustainable transport working
  group meeting. Series of expert and stakeholder
  seminars planned for Autumn to inform input to
  Department of Transport STTAP.
• September 2007 seminar on rural transport and
  social exclusion held with national experts and
  stakeholders. Recommendations arising are drafted
  by Comhar SDC.
• November 2007 - seminar on fiscal instruments to
  improve sustainability of transport held with
  international experts and stakeholders.
  Recommendations arising are drafted by Comhar
  SDC.
• December 2007 seminar on soft demand-side
  policy measures to improve sustainability of
  transport held with international experts and
  stakeholders. Recommendations arising are drafted
  by Comhar SDC.
• January 2008 final transport seminar on road
  frieght transport held with international experts
  and stakeholders. Recommendations arising are
  drafted by Comhar SDC.
• April 2008 - Draft summary recommendations on the
  consultation of the Sustainable Transport and
  Travel Action Plan (STTAP) presented to Transport
  working group for comment.
• May 2008 Revised summary recommendations
  circulated to Council members
• June 2008 Recommendations presented to
  Department of Transport senior management board
  and submitted to Department of Transport public
  consultation website.

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(3) Making the Smart Economy a Reality
mobilising markets to create jobs, reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and reduce fuel poverty

• Frank Convery
• Noel Casserly
• Lisa Ryan

Presentation to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on
Climate Change and Energy Security on 4th
February 2009
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Key Presentation Messages to JOC on Climate
Change and Energy Security

• Hugely demanding legally binding obligations for
  energy and climate change for 2020.
• 4-year window of sharp economic decline to make
  the transition from conventional to
  innovation-led green economy.
• Three key elements in this transition
• Get the price signals right
• Get the other policies working in the same
  direction as the price signals
• Use this window to radically and permanently
  reduce fuel poverty
• Key objective should be to be a leader in Europe
  in green tech and green collar jobs by 2020,
  convert the challenge into an opportunity.

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3. Agreed Programme for Government and Building
Irelands Smart Economy

• 2007 Programme for Government
• Increasing the resources available to Comhar, in
  particular with a view to enhancing its capacity
  to undertake analysis of policy issues and policy
  performance.
• Linking its work to the broader analytical and
  deliberative mechanisms of social partnership,
  Comhar will be established as a body within the
  National Economic and Social Development Office.
• Building Irelands Smart Economy Government
  framework December 2008
• Implementation of Green New Deal
• Promote alignment of NSDS with sustainable
  society and Green New Deal.

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4. National Sustainable Development Strategy and
longer-term Perspectives

• Comhar SDC has made recommendations on revised
  NSDS in 2007
• Ireland to produce revised NSDS in 2009
• Comhar SDC will assist with implementation and
  monitoring of NSDS
• Development of sustainable development indicators
  as communication and monitoring tools
• Exchange of ideas between Comhar SDC and members
  of European Environment and Sustainable
  Development Councils (EEAC)

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5. Proposed Priority Work Areas 2009-2011

• Overarching framework for Comhar SDC work Green
  New Deal
• Cross-cutting projects
• Green New Deal recommendations (Q3 2009)
• Green infrastructure recommendations and
  communication (Q2 2009-2010)
• National climate change adaptation plan (Q4 2009)
• Sustainable Development Indicators headline and
  local level (Q4 2009)
• Four priority thematic areas
• Natural resources, biodiversity, agriculture and
  waste
• Climate change, energy and transport
• Governance, built environment/infrastructure and
  spatial planning
• Awareness and Education

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A. Natural resources, biodiversity, agriculture
and waste

• Objective Decouple economic activity from
  resource use and environmental impact
• Development of the integrated SDI set (Q2-3 2009)
• Biodiversity in the National Climate Change
  Adaptation Strategy (Q2-4 2009)
• Biodiversity Indicator set (Q2-4 2009)
• Sustainable Consumption and Production
  (2009-2010)
• Comhar representation on National Waste
  Prevention Committee (ongoing)
• Support for the work of the National Biodiversity
  Forum (ongoing)

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B. Climate change, energy and transport

• Objective To provide recommendations to
  Government on climate change adaptation and
  mitigation, particularly using of fiscal
  instruments
• Recommendations for use of Carbon Tax and ETS
  Revenues (Q2-3 2009)
• Market Based Instruments for Agriculture -
  recommendations on fiscal incentives for
  agriculture sector to reduce climate change and
  biodiversity impacts (Q2 2009 Q3 2009)
• Guidelines for the architecture of a carbon
  budget, monitor Government's progress, devise
  projected expenditure/emissions (Q3 2009-2010)
• Development of recommendations for a rural
  transport policy for Ireland (Q1-4 2009)
• Analysis of fiscal instruments for Irish
  transport - vehicle tax, new technologies,
  infrastructure, and road pricing (2010)

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C. Governance, built environment/infrastructure
and spatial planning

• Objectives Improve communication and
  implementation of Sustainable Development at
  local level.
• Development of database and network of local
  authorities sustainability champions (Q2-3
  2009)
• Green infrastructure guidance and communication
  to local authorities (Q2-4 2009)
• Creation of a sustainable development toolkit for
  training purposes for local authority training
  bodies such as IPA (2010-2011)
• Draft guidelines for best practice for
  communication of sustainable development at local
  level (2010)

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D. Awareness and Education

• Objectives Improve communication of SD with
  public, stakeholders, and education system.
• Communication with stakeholders and the public on
  sustainable development through the Comhar SDC
  website and publications
• Tidy Towns competition
• Sustainable media awards
• Sponsorship of external events relating to
  sustainability
• Engagement with finalisation and implementation
  of the national strategy for ESD and support for
  work at RCE ESD in development of promotional
  materials for education for sustainable
  development.

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6. Proposed Working Groups 2009-2011

• Special focus - Green New Deal ad hoc group?
• National Biodiversity Forum
• Climate change and Energy
• Transport
• National Sustainable Development Strategy
  Indicators
• Education and Awareness
• Local authority network
• Governance, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure
• Sustainable Consumption and Production

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8. Work Programme Review and Annual Report

• Annual review of work priorities by Comhar SDC
  Bureau
• Flexible to change
• Measurement of progress
• Publication of annual report

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Workshop main points arising

• Broad agreement on what the priorities should be
• SCP and green procurement focusing on the case
  for supporting jobs and innovation
• Governance local authorities with a solutions
  focus
• Communications selling the positive and how SD
  benefits peoples everyday lives, tools for action
  
• Indicators how they can be used in strategy,
  policy and target setting, communications and for
  individuals (e.g. carbon footprints)
• Measurement and benchmarking
• Biodiversity and natural resources
• Systemic risk and management
• Land use, planning and transport

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Proposed modifications to Work Programme

• The discussion identified a range of issues that
  need to be incorporated into work programme and
  project planning
• Additional topic - systemic risk and management
  incorporate into Green New Deal work?
• Type of output research, tools and actions and
  in a format that is accessible for different
  audiences
• Advocacy public championing of SD, working with
  council member organisations and cultural
  institutions to advance SD agenda

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Next Steps

• Revision of Work programme to include Council
  plenary discussion
• Approval of Council by email May 2009

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Cap and share scheme

• Alternative scheme for residential and transport
  sectors, particularly interesting at more
  ambitious emissions reduction targets.
• Operation
• Government sets cap on fossil fuel importer
  emissions
• Total cap divided by no. of Irish households and
  allowance certificate awarded to each
• Fuel importers pass through additional costs to
  consumers who reduce energy consumption to reduce
  their exposure to higher prices
• Households cash in certificates at market prices
  at banks and are compensated for rising prices.
• Quite similar to a carbon tax with lump sum
  compensation to households.

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Cap and Share scheme (2)

• Advantages
• Public engagement aids acceptability
• Lower income households relatively highest gains
• More acceptable than carbon taxes at tighter
  emissions limits and resulting carbon prices
• Relatively simple to operate compared with many
  personal emissions trading schemes.
• Weaknesses
• Transaction costs potentially high
• Utility losses through opportunity costs to
  reduce other distortionary taxes.

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Cap and Share Scheme modelling results
Source Cambridge Econometrics (E3ME model)