Press release
NESC Report 152 - Grounding the Recovery in Sustainable Development: A Statement from the Council
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
The Government welcomes the publication of NESC’s report Grounding the Recovery in Sustainable Development: A Statement from the Council.
A new Statement from the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) sets out the importance of grounding the recovery in sustainable development. It provides a strong endorsement for the principle of linking economic, social and environmental priorities.
The Council argues that the task is considerable but achievable. Investing in nature and in reducing emissions will create jobs and at the same time become a means of re-imagining our economy and society, and crucially the relationship between them and our natural environment. Responding to COVID-19 can bring transformative change necessary for our wellbeing and a balanced economy, society and environment. The Council argues for brave ‘mission-oriented’ actions to achieve sustainable development and climate action. The Council notes Government’s commitment to a sustainable future and recovery.
In response the Government noted the significance of the cross-sectoral support for the statement from all partners in NESC.
In the statement, NESC “re-iterate(s) its support for urgent action to address the climate and biodiversity emergencies” and highlights the “’once in a century’ moment to reset our economy towards a low carbon and resilient economy.”
In line with the Programme for Government, as referred to in the statement, the Government intends to work with all of society to ensure that the current pandemic crisis is an inflection point towards a rapid transition to a decarbonized sustainable economy.
Note to Editors: This Statement was issued by the National Economic and Social Council, an independent Council comprising employers, trade unions, farmers, community and voluntary sector representatives, environmentalists, senior officials from Government departments, plus independent members. The Council was set up to analyse and report on strategic issues relating to the efficient development of the economy, the achievement of social justice and environmental sustainability. The report is available on NESC’s website at www.nesc.ie.