Ireland's major environment conference
17 october 2024 ∙ CROKE PARK, DUBLIN
Organised by
In association with
PROGRAMME
Conference programme
THURSDAY 17 OCTOBER
08:30 AM
Registration and morning coffee
Environmental policy
09:00 – 11:00 AM
Chair
Kevin O’Sullivan, Environment and Science Editor, The Irish Times
Ministerial address
Ossian Smyth TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Communications and Circular Economy
Northern Ireland environmental priorities
Andrew Muir MLA, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Circular economy implementation in Europe
Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea, Director, Circular Economy, DG Environment, European Commission
Environmental risks to health
Francesca Racioppi, Head of Office, World Health Organization European Centre for Environment and Health
Presented by Coillte
Questions and answers / panel discussion
11:00 – 11:30 AM
Networking coffee break and exhibition viewing
Parallel session: Sustainability and ESG
11:30 AM – 01:00 PM
Chair
Kevin O’Sullivan, Environment and Science Editor, The Irish Times
Rethinking our food system
David McGee, Advisory Partner and ESG Leader, PwC
Sustainability and compliance: Legal insights on ESG
Danielle Conaghan, Partner and Head of the Environment and Planning Group, Arthur Cox
Sustainability capabilities for leaders: What is futures literacy and why is it important?
Geoff Dooley, Head of Sustainability Services, Antaris Consulting
Common data space and digital twins for Ireland
Venkatesh Kannan, Associate Director, The Irish Centre of High-End Computing (ICHEC)
An effective ESG strategy: Putting words into action
Lorna McAdoo, Group Director Environment, Social & Governance and NI Lead, Version 1
Questions and answers / panel discussion
Parallel session: Climate
11:30 AM – 01:00 PM
Chair
J Owen Lewis, Chair, The IIEA Working Group on Climate and Energy
State of the European climate 2023
Chris Hewitt, Director of Climate Services Branch, World Meteorological Organization
Leading UK local government and communities towards net zero with clean air
Christopher Hammond, Chief Executive, UK100
Moving towards European climate neutrality
Laura Diaz Anadon, Co-Vice-Chair, European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change, University of Cambridge
Accelerating Cork city’s journey towards climate neutrality
Fearghal Reidy, Director of Services, Strategic & Economic Development Directorate, Cork City Council
Questions and answers / panel discussion
01:00 – 02:00 PM
Lunch break and exhibition viewing
Parallel session: Circular economy and resource management
02:00 - 03:15 PM
Chair
Claire Downey, Policy and Research Director, The Rediscovery Centre
Ireland's circular economy transition
Philip Nugent, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Packaging waste in a circular economy
Zoe Kavanagh, CEO, REPAK
Putting circular economy centre stage: Supporting industry with circular business models
Geraldine Brennan, Head of Circular Economy, IMR and CIRCULÉIRE Lead
Identifying circular economy business opportunities on the island of Ireland
Rachel Lombardi, Chief Executive, International Synergies
Questions and answers / panel discussion
Parallel session: Biodiversity
02:00 - 03:15 PM
Chair
Anja Murray, Ecologist
National Biodiversity Action Plan
Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General, National Parks and Wildlife Service
Protecting biodiversity and engaging with local communities
Paula Kearney, Biodiversity Officer, Galway City Council
Using data to assist the protection of Ireland’s biodiversity
Liam Lysaght, Chief Executive Officer, National Biodiversity Data Centre
Speaker tbc
Questions and answers / panel discussion
03:15 – 03:30 PM
Afternoon coffee break and exhibition viewing
Parallel session: Water
03:30 - 05:00 PM
Chair
Dr Susan Hegarty, Associate Professor, DCU
An overview of water quality in Ireland
Eimear Cotter, Director of the Office of Evidence and Assessment, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
HydroPredict: Ensemble river flow scenarios for climate change adaptation
Conor Murphy, Professor at the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units (ICARUS), Department of Geography, Maynooth University
Empowering communities for action in catchment management
Mark Horton, All Ireland Director, The Rivers Trust
Questions and answers / panel discussion
Parallel session: Planning and the environment
03:30 PM - 05:00 PM
Chair
Hendrik W van der Kamp, Planning Consultant
Planning for the environment and climate
Paul Hogan, Assistant Secretary, Head of Planning Division, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Working with local government to deliver effective environmental planning
Rachel Jones, Principal Consultant, Planning Advisory Service, Local Government Association UK
BelfastTHRIVES - Transformative health and regeneration initiatives for vibrancy, equality and sustainability
Gavan Rafferty, Lecturer in Spatial Planning and Development, Ulster University
Questions and answers / panel discussion
Ossian Smyth TD
Florika Fink-Hooijer
Antoine Oger
Laura Curtis-Moss
Anthony Costello
Anja Murray
Niall Ó Donnchú
Mike Savage
Brian Carroll
Claire Downey
Oisín Coghlan
Stephen Onakuse
Kevin O’Sullivan
Susan Hegarty
Hendrik W van der Kamp
Philip Nugent
Adrian Smyth 
Ainhoa Gonzalez Del Campo 
Geoff Dooley 
Clare Pillman 
David Greenfield
Danielle Conaghan
Peter McEvoy
Triona McGrath
J Owen Lewis
Gavin Smith
Imelda Hurley
Lucy Gaffney
Dr Venkatesh Kannan
Kevin Hegarty
Eimear Cotter
Aditya Arora
Patric Child
Eleanor Roche
Andy Bleasdale
Andrew Muir MLA
Chris Hewitt
Francesca Racioppi
Christopher Hammond
Laura Díaz Anadón
Lorna McAdoo
Conor Murphy 
Mark Horton 
Philip Nugent 
Zoe Kavanagh
Niall Ó Donnchú
Venkatesh Kannan
David McGee
Anna Rose
Paul Hogan
