
Ireland's major environment conference
04–05 October 2022 ∙ CROKE PARK, DUBLIN
In association with




PROGRAMME
Conference programme
DAY ONE
4 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
Ireland’s environment: Policy priorities and future outlook
Eamon Ryan TD, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (invited)
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability
Hans-Otto Pörtner, Co-Chair, Working Group II, IPCC
Tackling the biodiversity emergency
Brian Mac Sharry, Head of Biodiversity and Ecosystems, European Environment Agency
Priorities for the Northern Ireland environment
Senior representative, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Resource management and the circular economy
Danielle Conaghan, Partner and Head of the Environment and Planning Group, Arthur Cox
Questions and answers / panel discussion
11:00 – 11:30 AM
Networking coffee break and exhibition viewing
Parallel session: Biodiversity
11:30 AM – 01:00 PM
Chair
Jane Stout, Vice President for Biodiversity and Climate Action, Professor in Botany, Trinity College Dublin
Protecting and restoring Scotland’s wildlife
Jo Pike, Chief Executive, Scottish Wildlife Trust
Biodiversity in a warming world
Yvonne Buckley, Professor of Zoology, Trinity College Dublin
Biodiversity awareness, understanding and impact of its loss
Virginia Teehan, CEO, The Heritage Council
Questions and answers / panel discussion
Parallel session: Sustainability
11:30 AM – 01:00 PM
Chair
Kevin O’Sullivan, Environment and Science Editor, The Irish Times
Session details to be announced soon.
Questions and answers / panel discussion
01:00 – 02:00 PM
Lunch break and exhibition viewing
Parallel session: Circular economy and resource management
02:00 – 04:00 PM
Chair
Claire Downey, Policy and Research Director, The Rediscovery Centre
Empowering Scotland’s circular economy
Michael Cook, CEO, Circular Communities Scotland
Ireland's circular economy transition
Philip Nugent, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
The circular economy — embracing the challenge
Séamus Clancy, Chief Executive Officer, Repak
Circular economy: From theory to practice
Bruce Harper, Environmental Consultant, Antaris Consulting
Questions and answers / panel discussion
Parallel session: Public health and the environment
02:00 – 04:00 PM
Chair
Denise Cahill, Co-ordinator, The Cork Healthy Cities
The impact of climate change on public health
Elaine Mulcahy, Director, UK Health Alliance on Climate Change
Air quality in Ireland
Patrick Kenny, Senior Manager – Ambient Air Quality, National Ambient Air Quality Unit, Environmental Protection Agency
Connecting with nature for health and wellbeing
Caitríona Carlin, PhD, Lecturer, Ryan Institute and School of Natural Sciences, NUI Galway
The public health benefits of clean air: Awareness and advocacy
Sarah O’Connor, CEO, Asthma Society of Ireland
Questions and answers / panel discussion
04:00 PM
Conference close
DAY TWO
5 OCTOBER
Climate Ireland
09:00 – 11:00 AM
Chair
J Owen Lewis, Co-Chair, IIEA Working Group on Climate and Energy
Climate change policy in Ireland
Brian Carroll, Assistant Secretary, Environment and Climate Action, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
EU taxonomy: Achieving net zero
Geoff Dooley, Head of Sustainability Services, Antaris Consulting
The implications of climate change and future outlook
Oisín Coghlan, CEO, Friends of the Earth Ireland
Questions and answers / panel discussion
11:00 – 11:30 AM
Networking coffee break and exhibition viewing
Climate
11:30 AM – 01:00 PM
Chair
J Owen Lewis, Co-Chair, IIEA Working Group on Climate and Energy
Public perceptions of climate change
Dr Katharine Steentjes, Research Associate, Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), Cardiff University
The local authority response to climate change
Paddy Mahon, Chief Executive, Longford County Council
Imagining2050 project: Engaging, envisioning and enabling dialogue on pathways towards a low carbon, climate resilient Ireland
Gerard Mullally, Lecturer, University College Cork
Questions and answers / panel discussion
01:00 – 02:00 PM
Lunch break and exhibition viewing
Parallel session: Planning and the environment
02:00 – 03:30 PM
Chair
Hendrik W van der Kamp, Planning Consultant
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as a mechanism for promoting environmental protection and sustainable development in Ireland
Tadhg O'Mahony, Senior Scientific Officer, Environmental Protection Agency
Digital twins for environmental policy-making
Alastair McKinstry, Programme Manager for Environmental Sciences, The Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC)
Planning and the environment
Niall Cussen, Chief Executive Officer, Office of the Planning Regulator (Invited)
Renewing urban communities: Environment, citizenship and sustainability in Ireland
Niamh Moore-Cherry, Deputy College Principal, Professor of Urban Governance and Development, University College Dublin
Questions and answers / panel discussion
Parallel session: Water
02:00 – 03:30 PM
Chair
Mary Kelly-Quinn, Associate Professor, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin
River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027
Feargal Ó Coigligh, Assistant Secretary, Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government
Supporting the implementation of River Basin Management Plans
Senior representative, Local Authorities Waters Programme (LAWPRO)
Lessons from the Source to Tap project: Sustainable solutions
Diane Foster, Project Manager, Source to Tap
Questions and answers / panel discussion