| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.52 |
| Liaison | Maria Kirrane |
| Submission Date | July 28, 2022 |
University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Maria
Kirrane Sustainability Officer Office of the Director of Buildings and Estates |
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level:
UCC as an institution made a submission to the Cork City Development Plan in 2021. The submission was commissioned by UCC Acting President Prof. John O'Halloran, and
included cross institutional contributions . The submission contained UCC's vision for culture, diversity & inclusion, public amenity, and the environment. It included an emphasis connectivity to campus and sustainable transport modes.
UCC Commuter Manager and UCC Sustainability Officer represents the university on the Cork Transport and Mobility Forum. This Forum lobbies for better infrastructure and supports for sustainable and active travel options in Cork City. A recent example of local advocacy is the submission made on the City Development Plan.
https://transportandmobilityforum.com/letters-for-change/
UCC School of Chemistry has a long term partnership with Cork City Council, contributing to air quality monitoring and offering scientific advice on the development of the Cork City Council Air Quality Strategy
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level:
UCC Commuter Manager and UCC Sustainability Officer represents the university on the Cork Transport and Mobility Forum. This Forum lobbies for better infrastructure and supports for sustainable and active travel options in Cork City and Region and the wider County Cork, as well as intercounty infrastructure and national policy documents. A list of submissions made by the Transport and Mobility Forum is available on the group's website https://transportandmobilityforum.com/letters-for-change/
Recent examples of regional advocacy include submissions on:
2021- Numerous regional infrastructural projects.
2021 - Climate Action Plan
2021 - N20 Cork-Limerick Intercounty Commuter Network
2020 - Cork County Development Plan
2020 - Road Safety Authority Strategic Plan
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level:
UCC frequently engages in public policy advocacy through the activities and expertise of it's researchers and educators. The university continually reaches out to government departments to offer the knowledge and expertise of it's staff in the areas of environment and sustainability, on campuses, in education and more broadly. Three examples are below:
In 2021 UCC made an institutional submission to the National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD to 2030), during the consultation process undertaken jointly by the governmental departments of Dept. of Education & Dept. of Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science. The submission was commissioned by the UCC President Prof. John O’Halloran and coordinated by Acting Sustainability Officer. The submission contained input from across the institution including Students Union, Buildings & Estates, Green Campus Programme, Centre for Integration of Research, teaching & Learning, The Centre for Global Development, The Environmental Research Institute, Student Societies and numerous academic departments.
Similarly in 2021 UCC made an institutional submission to the consultation process for the National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals. The submission was commissioned by the university president, and coordinated by the Sustainability Officer and the Manager of the Environmental Research Institute.
A number of researchers from UCC Environmental Research Institute were invited as expert witnesses to the Oireachtas Join Committee on Climate Action during pre-legislative scrutiny of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development
Bill 2020. The Committee was examining the recently published Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020. The Bill proposed to introduce significant amendments designed to strengthen Ireland’s existing framework climate legislation. Further ERI researchers contributed additional evidence to the committee as requested. For detailed discussion see page ten ERI annual report:
https://www.ucc.ie/en/media/research/environmentalresearchinstitute/newsimages/2020AnnualReport.pdf
Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level:
UCC is the only Irish University, and one of only three Irish organisations to hold official observer status at COP26, UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties. In 2021 UCC established the President’s Working Group for COP26 to coordinate UCC’s activities relating to COP26. The working group was chaired by Prof. Brian O’Gallachoir (UCC Environmental Research Institute) and comprised of experts in energy and climate science, sociology, human rights and environmental justice, as well as student activists, and the Sustainability Officer. The working group selected a delegation of 8 staff and students to represent UCC at COP26. The working group also drafted a declaration to be sent to COP26 to inform policy makers. In addition Dr Marguerite Nyhan (UCC School of Engineering & UCC Environmental Research Institute) was part of the Irish Government National delegation.
https://www.ucc.ie/en/news/ucc-to-send-delegation-to-un-cop-26.html
Prof. Aine Ryall, UCC Centre for Law & the Environment is the vice-Chair of the UNEC Aarhus Convention Compliance committee, which monitors how nations ensure that citizens have access to environmental information and environmental justice.
https://unece.org/env/pp/cc/committee-members
A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
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.