I propose to take Questions Nos. 211 and 212 together.
My Department published an ambitious programme of actions in the Climate Action Plan 2021 that will improve sustainability across the culture and creative sectors. Implementation of the actions in the Climate Action Plan is monitored quarterly, allowing for the measurement of the progress in improving the sustainability of the sectors under my remit.
The Plan contains a number of actions to assist the cultural and creative sector to measure and lower its carbon output. The recently completed Greening Arts Centres pilot project provided 7 Arts Venues with sustainability and capacity-building support to reduce their carbon footprints. The latest round of the Cultural Capital Scheme 2019-2022 prioritised projects that will support Arts and Culture organisations’ efforts to reduce their carbon footprints, with 27 out of 44 projects funded including specific sustainability measures, e.g. upgrading windows, insulating buildings, and installing LED lighting. Other actions to be completed in 2022 include a review of international climate action in the cultural sector with a view to developing a green certification scheme for the cultural sector, and the launch of a sustainable outdoor events charter by Fáilte Ireland to improve the environmental performance of the events sector.
In addition to its actions under the Climate Action Plan, my Department and the public bodies under its remit have been working to embed sustainability into their activities to support the green transition of the creative, cultural and events sectors.
For instance, as part of the 2021 review of the National Development Plan, an assessment of the climate impact of investment decisions was conducted. Under the revised National Development Plan my Department will work to reorient its capital schemes to deliver on the ambition of the Climate Action Plan and include carbon costs as part of its appraisal processes for the redevelopment of the National Cultural Institutions and investments in Regional Cultural Infrastructure.
The Screen Greening Coalition which comprises the BAI, RTÉ, Screen Ireland, Screen Producers Ireland, TG4 and Virgin Media Ireland jointly funded the adaptation of the Albert Carbon Calculator for use in Ireland. The Albert Carbon Calculator is specifically designed for programme making and is used by other broadcasters internationally to measure their carbon emissions. TG4 made the use of the Albert Carbon Calculator mandatory for all productions in January 2021, and RTÉ’s Cláracha Gaeilge has been awarded Albert certification for sustainable production and minimising its carbon footprint.
Screen Ireland has introduced a set of sustainability supports for the film industry. Their Sustainability Plan, launched in April 2022, has a set of ambitious targets to achieve net-zero by 2025. The Plan includes a commitment for the mandatory use of a Carbon Calculator as a minimum requirement on all Screen Ireland funded productions, together with providing practical supports to use the carbon calculator.
The Arts Council is developing a Climate Action Policy and Implementation Plan in consultation with Arts Council staff, artists, arts organisations, and other key stakeholders in partnership with experts from Julie’s Bicycle EU, Native Events and the Green Arts Initiative in Ireland in order to bring sustainable practices to Irish events and green Irish arts.
The Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce included a recommendation on addressing the environmental impact of arts, cultural and event activities in its “Life Worth Living” report in 2020. In line with this recommendation, Minister Ryan and I launched the Creative Climate Action Fund on behalf of the Creative Ireland Programme in 2021. Under this fund, €2 million has been committed to a total of 15 projects that will offer innovative means, through the cultural, arts and creative events, of engaging the public on the urgent need for climate-related system, lifestyle and behaviour changes. Implementation of the “Life Worth Living” report recommendations was monitored by the Arts and Culture Recovery Oversight Group, which met 8 times in 2021. Records of the meetings of both the Taskforce and Oversight Group are available at:
www.gov.ie/en/news/e7f78-latest-updates-from-the-arts-and-culture-recovery-taskforce/.
