environment-ireland-logo@2x.png

Ireland's major environment conference
THURSDAY 3 SEPTEMBER 2026 ∙ CROKE PARK, DUBLIN

Organised by
In partnership with
PROGRAMME

Conference programme

THURSDAY 3 SEPTEMBER

 

08:15 AM
Registration, exhibition viewing and morning coffee

Environmental policy

09:00 – 11:00 AM

Chair

Claire Downey, Chief Executive Officer, The Rediscovery Centre

 

Keynote address: Protecting the European environment

Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy

 

Ministerial address

Timmy Dooley TD, Minister of State Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment

 

Northern Ireland environmental priorities

Senior representative, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

 

Key challenges and opportunities for the Irish environment

Eimear Cotter, Director General, Environmental Protection Agency

 

Delivering a sustainable energy future

Joe Duignan, Group Head of Sustainability, ESB

 

Questions and answers / panel discussion

11:00 – 11:30 AM

Networking coffee break and exhibition viewing

Parallel session: Circular economy

11:30 AM – 01:00 PM

Chair

Claire Downey, Chief Executive Officer, The Rediscovery Centre

 

Circular economy: Creating a better future

Eva Maria Bille, Head of Circular Economy, European Environmental Bureau

 

Moving Ireland towards a circular economy

Martina Hennessy, Assistant Secretary, Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment

 

From circular ambition to industrial scale: Rewiring Ireland’s innovation system

Sophie Reynolds
CIRCULÉIRE Programme Manager
Irish Manufacturing Research

 

Empowering communities to conserve our natural resources

Tad Kirakowski, CEO, VOICE Ireland

 

Questions and answers / panel discussion

Parallel session: Planning and the environment

11:30 AM – 01:00 PM

Chair

Hendrik W van der Kamp, Planning Consultant

 

The role of planning in accelerating the European transition to net zero while protecting communities and nature

Catherine Vilquin, President, European Council of Spatial Planners

 

Planning and the environment in Scotland

Fiona Simpson, Chief Planner, Scottish Government

 

Planning for the Irish environment and climate

Claragh Mulhern, Principal Adviser/Chief Planner, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

 

Environment and planning legal update

Jacinta Conway, Partner, Arthur Cox

 

Biodiversity and the built environment

Irene Rondini, Communications & Marketing Manager, Biodiversity Specialist, Irish Green Building Council

 

Questions and answers / panel discussion

Parallel session: Health

11:30 AM – 01:00 PM

Chair

Dr Lisa McNamee, Planetary Health and Sustainability Lead, Irish College of GPs

 

The impact of the environment on European health

Ian Marnane, Head of Unit, Environment and Health, European Environment Agency

 

The critical health risks of climate change

Colin O’Hehir, Head of Climate Change Unit, Department of Health

 

Healthy planet, healthy city

Denise Cahill, Healthy Cities Co-ordinator, Cork Healthy Cities

 

Environmental noise pollution and health impacts

Enda Murphy, Head of the Department of Urban Development and Mobility, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER)

 

Questions and answers / panel discussion

01:00 – 02:00 pm

Conference lunch and exhibition viewing

Parallel session:
Climate action

02:00 - 03:15 PM

 
Chair

Oisín Coghlan, Public Policy Advisor

 

Climate politics: Can't live with it, can't mitigate without it

Caroline Kuzemko, Professor in Political Economy of Climate Change, University of Warwick

 

Responding to Ireland’s changing climate

Alex White, Chairperson, Climate Change Advisory Council

 

Making the transition to a climate neutral economy

Paul O’Neill, Head of Climate Policy, Planning and Implementation
Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment

 

Questions and answers / panel discussion

Parallel session:
Sustainability

02:00 - 03:15 PM

Chair

Deborah Spence

The sustainability and climate action agenda for Irish businesses

Conor Minogue, Energy and Climate Policy Lead, Ibec

 

Delivering sustainable and circular transport

Janet Lynch, Sustainability Co-Ordinator, Luas

 

‘A Better Tomorrow’: Creating an effective sustainability strategy

Elaine O’Connor, Head of Sustainability, Lidl (Invited)

 

Questions and answers / panel discussion

03:15 – 03:30 pm

Afternoon coffee and exhibition viewing

Parallel session:
Water

03:30 - 05:00 PM

 
Chair

Susan Hegarty, Associate Professor, DCU

 

Building a sustainable ocean economy

Tom Pickerell, Global Director, Ocean Program, World Resources Institute

 

Protecting and restoring the natural waters of Ireland

Anthony Coleman, Director of Services
Local Authority Waters Programme

 

Delivering effective solutions for the protection of high-status waters

Anne Goggin, Project Manager, Waters of LIFE IP

 

 

Better farming for water

Noel Meehan, Head of Water Quality KT Department, Teagasc

 

Questions and answers / panel discussion

Parallel session:
Biodiversity

03:30 - 05:00 PM

Chair

Anja Murray, Broadcaster and Ecologist

Addressing Ireland’s biodiversity crisis

Liam Lysaght, Chief Executive Officer, National Biodiversity Data Centre

Building capacity and enhancing biodiversity through key partnerships

Barry O’Loughlin, Biodiversity Officer
Clare County Council

Caring for the Belfast hills, their wildlife and people

Lizzy Pinkerton, Chief Executive Officer, Belfast Hills Partnership

Creating a nature positive economy for Ireland

Maria Fitzpatrick, Executive Director, Business for Biodiversity Ireland

Questions and answers / panel discussion

05:00 pm

Conference close