| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83.12 |
| Liaison | Richard Manton |
| Submission Date | Sept. 12, 2024 |
Ollscoil na Gaillimhe - University of Galway
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Michelle
O'Dowd Community and Sustainability Officer Office of Deputy President and Registrar |
Local advocacy
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
NetZero Cities
Through the NetZeroCities Programme, University of Galway is partnering with Galway City Council to address the barriers associated with retrofitting homes and highlight the comfort, financial and health benefits of improving energy efficiency in the home, as well as the environmental benefits. This supports the development of local policy on climate action.
https://www.galwaycity.ie/services/climate-action/netzerocities
Regional advocacy
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:
The Greater Galway Charter for Sustainable Urbanism
University of Galway and Atlantic Technological University (Galway) have come together with the Mayor of the City of Galway and the Galway Chamber to announce and sign the Greater Galway Charter for Sustainable Urbanism – a manifesto for long-term strategic thinking and planning for the region. The Greater Galway Charter is intended as a living, working document which helps to stimulate cross community conversations about the kind of city and places signatories want for Galway by 2070, and the steps to begin today to deliver that 50-year vision. The Greater Galway Charter is underpinned by four anchoring Principles that guide what Galway should aspire to be as a City and a Place, namely: Sustainable; Inclusive; Responsive and Proud. Everyone interested in the future direction of development of Galway, and anyone who shares the passion for the city of the future, can sign up to signal support for the Charter and be part of the conversation.
National advocacy
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
Tips and gratuities legislation
The Payment of Wages (Tips and Gratuities) Act 2022 became law on 20 July 2022. The Act mandates that tips, gratuities and service charges are the property of the employees for whom they were intended. Findings from research undertaken at University of Galway was used to influence the content of the new Act by providing the Tánaiste with evidence of abuses relating to tips, gratuities and service charges. Abuse of tips is one aspect of ill-treatment uncovered by the research and research findings were presented to an Oireachtas Committee on Wednesday 29 June arguing that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated problems already present within the industry. Through her research, which highlights the perspective of employees, the lecturer addressed the ‘chronic labour shortage’ and pointed to low wages, antisocial hours, staff being ‘overworked and overwhelmed, and an absence of job security in the post-pandemic period as contributing to the shortage. The research report Inside Out Hospitality can be accessed here.
The impacts of Fit for 55 on Ireland’s maritime sector
In 2021 the European Commission put forward the ‘Fit for 55’ legislation, which aimed to promote the use of renewable and low carbon fuels across the EU maritime transport sector, as part of the European Green Deal. Research undertaken in 2022 and 2023 by academic staff in the JE Cairnes School of Business and Economics provided critical quantitative evidence about the economic effects of the ‘Fit for 55’ package. They found that the cost of marine fuel would increase by 28% by 2050, potentially impacting the maritime transport sector and, by extension, the broader Irish economy. However, these effects would not materialise significantly until 2035, so the sector would have time to react to the new policy environment, and the overall impact on Ireland’s economic activity would be minimal. The research offered policymakers the necessary evidence to engage in informed decision-making regarding the adoption of EU proposals. It provided the Irish Government with the appropriate information to decide on the ‘Fit for 55’ legislation, which came into force in October 2023. On the back of the research, the Irish Government was better prepared for the EU legislation entering into force and able to provide advice to shipping companies and ports in their efforts to decarbonise..
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41278-023-00267-9
International advocacy
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
University of Galway researchers co-organised and participated in the launch of a joint policy brief in Brussels. The policy brief, Energy Citizenship in the Making: Pathways to support citizen engagement in the European energy transition, was produced by four Horizon 2020 projects working on the theme of energy citizenship: DIALOGUES, ENCLUDE, EC2, and EnergyPROSPECTS. Researchers were present as part of EnergyPROSPECTS, a pan-European project that was led by the University. https://www.energyprospects.eu/
Optional Fields
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability advocacy efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.