Climate Roadmap 2023

Department overview

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science was established in July 2020. The Department operates from three locations, at:

• Saint Stephen's Green, Dublin
• Marlborough Street, Dublin
• Tullamore, County Offaly

The St Stephen’s Green location has 72 staff members. The building is on the listed building register and is operated as part of a wider campus involving shared resources with the connected buildings occupied by the Department of Justice. The Marlborough Street office has 112 staff and these areas share resources with the Department of Education. The Tullamore office has 66 staff members and is also part of a larger campus with the Department of Education as well as a number of other public bodies.

Progress to date

A number of key objectives within the Department have been met. Notably, a dedicated Climate Unit was established at the end of 2022 with a remit focusing on the Climate responsibility of the wider sector. The Department published its first Climate roadmap in March 2023 and this is the next iteration of the roadmap, which is being published in line with the Public Sector Climate Mandate.

A dedicated Green Team has been established in the St Stephen’s Green office, and has implemented several green initiatives, which were initially highlighted as priority actions. These include ensuring the use of energy efficient LED lights, procurement of new bins to enable separation of general waste, recycling and compost and the acquisition of compostable waste bags for bins, replacing plastic. The Department has joined with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to co fund the Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programme, which aims to improve data, costings and produce strategies for decarbonisation.

Overview

The Climate Action Plan 2023 set out a number of ambitious objectives, including reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 51% by 2030 while also raising the targeted improvement in energy efficiency in the public sector from the previous aim of 33% by 2020 to 50% by 2030.

This Climate Action Roadmap sets out the progress that has been seen to date as regards projects that have been commenced and efforts underway to meet the climate action plan targets. It will also focus on future projects that the Department is planning in order to meet the targets outlined in CAP 23.

The themes laid out in the Climate Action Roadmap are guided by Public Sector Climate Action Mandate prepared by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications Public Sector Climate Action Mandate and SEAI guidance documentation.

These are:

• Our people
• Our targets
• Our way of working
• Our buildings (and vehicles)

The Climate Action Mandate requires that leadership and governance structures for climate action are established, and that staff are engaged with climate action and have appropriate training.

Our people - leadership and governance

Statement demonstrating senior management commitment

Climate Action and its impacts are becoming more complex and harder to manage. The Department is committed to promoting a green agenda and supporting green initiatives within the Department. In line with the Climate Action Plan, the Department is focused on embedding climate action principles across its operations in order to meet the CAP23 goals.

Nominated Climate and Sustainability Champion

Paul Lemass is the Department’s Climate and Sustainability Champion. Paul is the Assistant Secretary General in the Department with responsibility for Corporate Functions, Capital Investment and Climate Action. He is also a member of the Department’s Management Board.

Paul Lemass joined the Department of Further and Higher Education Research Innovation and Science in August 2022. Prior to this he was Assistant Secretary General in the Department of Housing responsible for Housing Policy including the development of Housing for All. He has also served as Assistant Secretary for Local Government and as Environment Counsellor in the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from UCD and a Masters in Business Administration from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University in Chicago.

Green team

Given the dispersal of the Department across three different locations, the establishment of Green Teams is being undertaken on a joint basis with the Department of Education in Tullamore and Marlborough St. There is a Green Team based in St Stephen’s Green which works with the facilities team in the building in driving sustainability. The Green Team will meet at a minimum quarterly to discuss the progress and implementation of the Climate Action Plan.

Our People – Engaging Our Staff

Staff Training Plans

A new Learning and Development strategy is currently under development and it is anticipated that it will be finalised shortly. The strategy will reflect the high priority being given to the development of knowledge and skills for the Climate Change agenda, which has already seen the commencement of a number of training initiatives in the area of climate change.

Climate Action and Sustainability Workshops

To raise awareness of challenges associated with climate change and the Department’s contribution to the broader climate policy agenda across the Department, the Learning and Development Unit has invited a number of speakers to present to the Department.

• Peter Clifford (Science Foundation Ireland) and Brian Murphy presented on SFI and its role in supporting the Green Transition.
• Maria Walshe (SOLAS) presented on SOLAS and its role in the Further and Higher Education System with particular attention to the Green Skill agenda
• Tracey Donnery (Skillnet Ireland) presented on Skillnet and its role in the Further and Higher Education System with particular attention to the Green Skill agenda
• Aideen Foley (DFHERIS) presented on DFHERIS’ Journey to reach net-zero emissions
• Jennifer Boyer (TU Dublin) presented on TU Dublin’s Journey towards sustainability

Further thematic sessions such as this will continue to be arranged, with the sessions being broadcast virtually and available for all staff members to view.

In addition, a number of colleagues have undertaken Climate related training or started such training.

It is anticipated by the end of 2023 that between up to 50 colleagues will have participated in the Senior Leadership Training on Climate policy awareness and leadership in addition to 20 or so Principal Officers.

Senior Leadership Training

The Department has arranged for the delivery of bespoke Climate Awareness and Leadership Workshops for senior management in the coming months. These workshops are mandatory for Assistant Secretaries and POs in all units across the Department, and are also open to other members of staff.

The objective of the workshops will be to raise Senior Officials’ awareness of climate change and the need to lead climate policy implementation and delivery. The training is expected to:

• Enhance knowledge and understanding of climate science and how climate change impacts on Ireland (temperature, rainfall and sea level);
• Increase knowledge and understanding of the international and national policy context (Climate Act 2021, Government Climate Strategy, Climate Action Plans etc) and the accountability mechanisms in place;
• Encourage Senior Officials to investigate further the opportunities and challenges of integrating climate change into policy making and delivery;
• Clarify DFHERIS’ responsibility and commitments to deliver on Government Climate Policy, including through reducing carbon emissions (the main areas are estate management, capital investment, skills initiatives and staff work practices) and develop an understanding of the need to work collaboratively across Government Departments and across the Education and Research system;
• Enable Senior Officials to be able to lead the Department and the wider Tertiary Education and Research system to deliver on Ireland’s climate policy. In particular, to be positioned to develop strategies to provide for leadership and implementation across the sector in the areas of:
• Mitigation and adaptation,
• Management of risk,
• Ensuring the just transition i.e. that no one is left behind.

The Climate Action Mandate sets out several demanding emissions reduction and energy efficiency targets for public bodies:

Our targets:

Energy Related Usage

As noted above, two of the locations in which the Department is based are shared with and primarily operated by the Department of Education. As such, staff in those buildings adhere to Department of Education initiatives on energy efficiency. With regard to the St Stephen’s Green location, this Department is assessed as being responsible for 12.31% of the metered electricity and gas at the St Stephen’s Green building, as per SEAI reporting (data supplied from February 2023).

The Property Management Services in the Office of Public Works acquired this office space for the Department’s Head Quarters in September 2021. During the enabling works on the building, carried out on behalf of the Office of Public Works in December 2021, a new energy efficient gas boiler system was commissioned. This has achieved both cost savings and a reduction in energy usage.

Work is still underway to bring the building into full operational use. It is also understood that the OPW intend to undertake a deep retrofit of the building in the coming years, including the upgrading of windows and improving insulation to prevent heat loss.