Louise O'Reilly
Question:32. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps his Department is taking to promote the circular economy amongst the Irish enterprise base. [51439/23]
View answerThursday, 23 November 2023
Questions (32)
Written answers
It is clear that our relationship with the planet's limited resources has become unsustainable and we need to significantly change how we make, use and dispose of the things that we use, moving to a more circular economy that continually re-uses those resources.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 was enacted in July 2022. Officials in my Department continue to work closely with their colleagues in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications on implementing its provisions, particularly with regard to the statutory Circular Economy Strategy, the required sectoral roadmaps, and are already actively engaged on product specific agendas such as batteries, textiles and construction products.
My Department has also been strongly supportive of CIRCULÉIRE, the first cross-sectoral industry-led innovation network dedicated to closing the circular innovation gap and accelerating the net-zero carbon circular economy in Ireland. CIRCULÉIRE was launched in 2020 by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR), an Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland supported Technology Centre, in partnership with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, the Environmental Protection Agency, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, and 25 cross-sectoral Founding Industry Members. The Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications is currently considering a proposal from CIRCULÉIRE to establish a national Centre of Excellence for Circular Innovation with a view to making a recommendation to Government in the coming months.
At EU level, negotiations are continuing on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation which will build circularity - through inclusion of requirements such as reparability and reusability - into the design of products that we all use. It replaces and extends the current Ecodesign Directive, which applies to energy using products. Its main features include the introduction of a Digital Product Passport, provisions to prevent the destruction of unsold goods and measures relating to Green Public Procurement. My Department leads on this file, and officials have been working with a number of industry stakeholders to inform them about this proposal and wider circularity issues and opportunities it should create. This engagement has included presenting to various fora, including Ibec, the green transition subgroup of the Retail forum, the Responsible Business subgroup of the Enterprise Forum, and also hosting an expert masterclass as part of a circular economy thematic working group for CIRCULÉIRE members.
My Department also leads on the proposal for a Directive on empowering consumers for the green transition, which will improve protection against unfair commercial practices and the provision of better information for consumers. It is expected that it will facilitate greater product circularity within the Irish economy while ensuring a level playing field across the Single Market. Further, the Commission recently launched a proposal for a Directive on common rules promoting the repair of goods which aims to promote sustainable consumption via an increase in the repair and reuse of viable defective goods purchased by consumers within and beyond the legal guarantee of conformity.
I am a strong advocate that all businesses, large or small, can build better material circularity into their practices. Those unsure how to get started can use our Climate Toolkit 4 Business, which provides an easy to use carbon calculator and action plan generator. The Toolkit provides businesses with tailored information about their impact on the environment in the key areas of energy, travel, materials use and water, pointing users to resources and Government supports to help them reduce their impact. It provides numerous actions that prompt businesses to consider their supply chains and more circular business models.