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The Carbon Removal Certification Framework aims to promote sustainable solutions and innovative carbon capture and storage technologies. The proposal is intended to be an effective certification framework for the certification of carbon removal and sequestration from the atmosphere. In order to create an incentive for operators in agriculture, forestry and industry to capture and store carbon, the planned certificates are to serve as proof of high-quality carbon removal and can be sold. This is intended to create a new income opportunity for various industries and farmers.
Climate-efficient agriculture (carbon farming) in particular holds considerable potential for effective carbon removal. As the EU has set an ambitious target in the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector to remove a net amount of 310 million tonnes of carbon by 2030, the introduction and expansion of carbon farming is a necessity for the EU member states
The ASEAN region, a grouping of 10 countries in the Indo-Pacific, constitutes a growing market of over 600 million consumers. The countries as a group are the EU’s third largest trading partner outside Europe, after the US and China. Given the region’s trade and investment potential, promoting economic ties continues to be a priority for the EU.
Post-Brexit, there remains a strong focus on opening up new markets for Irish exports and growth in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and green technology sectors in ASEAN countries provides considerable opportunities. The Irish government has set out its objective to reach €100 billion in bilateral trade with the Asia-Pacific region by 2025. Expanding ties with the ASEAN bloc will be key to achieving this.
Buildings are responsible for 36 % of greenhouse gas emissions and 40% of the energy consumption in the EU. It is clear they need to be sufficiently addressed if we are to reach our climate targets. The energy crisis has highlighted the need to utilise available resources, from a buildings perspective, solar becomes an ever more attractive investment. The use of energy saving and generation technologies will be pivotal for buildings. These are cost effective solutions with a high yield on return of investment, allowing us to utilise much cleaner primary energy consumption.
The ‘Solar Rooftop Initiative’, a core element of the REPowerEU plan unveiled, includes a proposal to be added to the Energy Performance of Building Directive that will make rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels much more integrated into households, businesses and the energy system.
While the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has rightly been dominating the political agenda over the last few months, it is crucial that we do not lose sight of ongoing issues elsewhere. This webinar will shed light on the situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in August 2021.
The discussion will focus on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan, and particularly the lack of access to education for girls. I have been moved by the many stories of untold suffering emerging from Afghanistan over the past few months, and I am determined to continue raising awareness of this very important topic.
The event focused on harnessing Ireland’s potential in the area of green hydrogen and how producing, storing and using green hydrogen can complement the role of electricity in a secure, resilient, zero carbon integrated energy system, and what policy support measures could be introduced to speed up the transition to a hydrogen economy. The event also discussed the broader context with of ensuring energy security and system resilience, while working towards the overarching goal of a decarbonisation of the economy.
Although the European Commission has outlined a clear vision for the use of green hydrogen in the EU Hydrogen Strategy (2020), the Irish government has yet to develop a similar strategy for Ireland, something which would speed up Ireland’s development in this area.
Thanks to its geographic position, Ireland has the potential to become a European leader in the area of green hydrogen. In spite of the lack of a coordinated strategy at present, there are a number of innovative new hydrogen projects being developed across the island of Ireland. A coordinated, all-island strategy would further facilitate and encourage such projects. The ever-worsening climate crisis and recent geopolitical shifts have underlined the need to ensure the security of our energy supply from reliable, sustainable sources.
