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Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) sustainability assessments are receiving significant attention in the academic literature, with ever more complex grading and ranking systems being developed. This paper aims to provide national policy makers with a simple set of indicators to facilitate measuring progress towards sustainability for the HEI sector, within the context of national sustainability data collection efforts. Candidate indicators were identified and assessed from the two most subscribed to HEI sustainability assessments, namely, the UIGreenMetric and STARS, to develop a sector specific indicator set. This resulted in a final set of 12 indicators, covering on-site energy, greenhouse gas emissions, solid waste, water, travel, education, research, and governance. The proposed indicator set was then compared to publicly available data for Irish HEIs, to identify gaps in data collection, which found that direct campus energy use and associated Scope 1 and 2 emission data alone were collected with sufficient rigour. The described indicator set has the potential to be applied to guiding national sustainability transitions globally and offers a template for accelerating sustainability data collection efforts for the HEI sector.
William Horan; Bernadette O’Regan. Developing a Practical Framework of Sustainability Indicators Relevant to All Higher Education Institutions to Enable Meaningful International Rankings. Sustainability 2021, 13, 629 .
AMA StyleWilliam Horan, Bernadette O’Regan. Developing a Practical Framework of Sustainability Indicators Relevant to All Higher Education Institutions to Enable Meaningful International Rankings. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (2):629.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWilliam Horan; Bernadette O’Regan. 2021. "Developing a Practical Framework of Sustainability Indicators Relevant to All Higher Education Institutions to Enable Meaningful International Rankings." Sustainability 13, no. 2: 629.
This paper describes a framework for estimating the effectiveness of photovoltaic and rainwater harvesting technology deployment on industrial and commercial zoned buildings to facilitate reducing national GHG emissions. Decarbonisation technologies pathways were investigated which may aid in meeting national decarbonisation targets, and their potential role at local administrative area scale evaluated. A finding arising from application of this method was that a small number of larger industrial and commercial buildings, representing only 4% of the sectors buildings, were found to account for 38% of its decarbonisation potential. Future carbon emission scenarios identified that electricity demand may be expected to increase for the industrial and commercial sector up to 2030, and that the technological potential for current photovoltaics systems have the potential to reduce GHG emissions by 4% more than currently planned Irish grid-scale decarbonisation trajectories. The method may be adopted at European scale, using local data on climate and building attributes, and is applicable at national, regional and local scales. The paper concludes with a review of technologies which may aid further decarbonisation studies, which include improved data availability for 3D building generation, and enabling technologies such as machine learning algorithms applied to satellite imagery.
William Horan; Susan Byrne; Rachel Shawe; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. A geospatial assessment of the rooftop decarbonisation potential of industrial and commercial zoned buildings: An example of Irish cities and regions. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 2020, 38, 100651 .
AMA StyleWilliam Horan, Susan Byrne, Rachel Shawe, Richard Moles, Bernadette O'Regan. A geospatial assessment of the rooftop decarbonisation potential of industrial and commercial zoned buildings: An example of Irish cities and regions. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments. 2020; 38 ():100651.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWilliam Horan; Susan Byrne; Rachel Shawe; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. 2020. "A geospatial assessment of the rooftop decarbonisation potential of industrial and commercial zoned buildings: An example of Irish cities and regions." Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 38, no. : 100651.
Rachel Shawe; William Horan; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. Mapping of sustainability policies and initiatives in higher education institutes. Environmental Science & Policy 2019, 99, 80 -88.
AMA StyleRachel Shawe, William Horan, Richard Moles, Bernadette O'Regan. Mapping of sustainability policies and initiatives in higher education institutes. Environmental Science & Policy. 2019; 99 ():80-88.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRachel Shawe; William Horan; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. 2019. "Mapping of sustainability policies and initiatives in higher education institutes." Environmental Science & Policy 99, no. : 80-88.
University Campuses (UC) have the capacity to experiment with and demonstrate innovative sustainability solutions in a ‘real-world’ context that may serve as possible pre-configurations of sustainable societies. While there is potential for universities to improve their own operational sustainability by experimenting with innovative sustainability solutions on campus, the greatest potential of the sector is their multiplier effect on catalysing wider society’s transition towards sustainable communities. To evaluate UC potential contribution towards catalysing wider society’s transition towards sustainable communities, no single perspective is adequate due to the multi-dimensional nature of sustainability transition pathways. As a result an integrated approach titled the Higher Education Advancing Development for Sustainability (HEADS) approach was developed and applied to the UC sector in Ireland utilising the perspectives of initiative-based learning (or living lab), sociotechnical analysis and quantitative systems modelling. By utilising this integrated approach, a fuller picture is achieved by bridging the partial understanding obtained from each of these perspectives as to how UC may contribute to national transition towards sustainability.
William Horan; Rachel Shawe; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. National Sustainability Transitions and the Role of University Campuses: Ireland as a Case Study. World Sustainability Series 2019, 255 -270.
AMA StyleWilliam Horan, Rachel Shawe, Richard Moles, Bernadette O'Regan. National Sustainability Transitions and the Role of University Campuses: Ireland as a Case Study. World Sustainability Series. 2019; ():255-270.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWilliam Horan; Rachel Shawe; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. 2019. "National Sustainability Transitions and the Role of University Campuses: Ireland as a Case Study." World Sustainability Series , no. : 255-270.
William Horan; Rachel Shawe; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. Development and evaluation of a method to estimate the potential of decarbonisation technologies deployment at higher education campuses. Sustainable Cities and Society 2019, 47, 1 .
AMA StyleWilliam Horan, Rachel Shawe, Richard Moles, Bernadette O'Regan. Development and evaluation of a method to estimate the potential of decarbonisation technologies deployment at higher education campuses. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2019; 47 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWilliam Horan; Rachel Shawe; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. 2019. "Development and evaluation of a method to estimate the potential of decarbonisation technologies deployment at higher education campuses." Sustainable Cities and Society 47, no. : 1.
Ireland is currently considered a laggard within Europe in relation to decarbonisation of its society, with future projections estimating increases in greenhouse gas emissions up to and beyond 2030. To accelerate Ireland’s transition towards a low-carbon society, there is a need for leadership in deployment and experimentation of low carbon technologies. As Higher Education Institutions (HEI) currently play a major role in generation of human capital and the associated impact on societal development, HEIs are ideal locations to focus resources in terms of deployment and experimentation of decarbonisation technologies to demonstrate best practice for further replication within wider society. To guide Irish HEIs in this regard, a novel integrated approach titled ‘Higher Education Accelerating Development for Sustainability’ (HEADS) has been developed and applied to the sector. The HEADS approach utilises the perspectives of quantitative systems analysis, sociotechnical analysis, and living lab learning to inform HEIs of their potential roles within national sustainability transitions. Applied to solar photovoltaic transitions in Ireland, the HEADS approach has identified HEIs as vital locations to deploy low-carbon technologies due to their amplification effect in signalling to wider society the attractiveness of these technologies.
William Horan; Rachel Shawe; Bernadette O’Regan. Ireland’s Transition towards a Low Carbon Society: The Leadership Role of Higher Education Institutions in Solar Photovoltaic Niche Development. Sustainability 2019, 11, 558 .
AMA StyleWilliam Horan, Rachel Shawe, Bernadette O’Regan. Ireland’s Transition towards a Low Carbon Society: The Leadership Role of Higher Education Institutions in Solar Photovoltaic Niche Development. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (3):558.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWilliam Horan; Rachel Shawe; Bernadette O’Regan. 2019. "Ireland’s Transition towards a Low Carbon Society: The Leadership Role of Higher Education Institutions in Solar Photovoltaic Niche Development." Sustainability 11, no. 3: 558.
Climate change communication to the Public is in general presented in a negative fashion and often depicts the resultant costs and impacts as distant. Its substantial gloom together with the less immediate consequences significantly weaken responses. Narratives and stories are potent arbiters of meaningful communication and are an important vehicle for communication in our information-rich lives. Importantly, they reduce jargon, gather and translate information, provide insight, reframe evidence and engage audiences. It has been argued by many observers that stories are potentially useful in driving change; presenting a way to value what is gone, expressing emotions, and helping us assert our determination to salvage something and work towards the future. This paper details the methods utilised by the authors to generate stories and case studies in a community in Ireland over a 4-year research period. The aim of the work was to identify and assess the salience and potency of storytelling – as part of a “co-creation” process – with regard to galvanising local action in the generation of sustainable models of lifestyle practice for residents. In this paper, co-creation includes the planning phase of co-design and the implementation phase of co-production. The demonstration of these sustainable lifestyle practices was a strong driver for the sustainable transition of this community supporting the reduction of its ecological footprint by 28% over 4 years, evidence of which is highlighted in this paper.
Vincent Carragher; Bernadette O'Regan; Michael Peters; Richard Moles. Novel resource saving interventions: the case of modelling and storytelling. Local Environment 2018, 23, 518 -535.
AMA StyleVincent Carragher, Bernadette O'Regan, Michael Peters, Richard Moles. Novel resource saving interventions: the case of modelling and storytelling. Local Environment. 2018; 23 (5):518-535.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVincent Carragher; Bernadette O'Regan; Michael Peters; Richard Moles. 2018. "Novel resource saving interventions: the case of modelling and storytelling." Local Environment 23, no. 5: 518-535.
Rosemary Byrne; Susan Byrne; Ray Ryan; Bernadette O'Regan. Applying the Q-method to identify primary motivation factors and barriers to communities in achieving decarbonisation goals. Energy Policy 2017, 110, 40 -50.
AMA StyleRosemary Byrne, Susan Byrne, Ray Ryan, Bernadette O'Regan. Applying the Q-method to identify primary motivation factors and barriers to communities in achieving decarbonisation goals. Energy Policy. 2017; 110 ():40-50.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRosemary Byrne; Susan Byrne; Ray Ryan; Bernadette O'Regan. 2017. "Applying the Q-method to identify primary motivation factors and barriers to communities in achieving decarbonisation goals." Energy Policy 110, no. : 40-50.
Yvonne Ryan-Fogarty; Genevieve Becker; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. Backcasting to identify food waste prevention and mitigation opportunities for infant feeding in maternity services. Waste Management 2017, 61, 405 -414.
AMA StyleYvonne Ryan-Fogarty, Genevieve Becker, Richard Moles, Bernadette O'Regan. Backcasting to identify food waste prevention and mitigation opportunities for infant feeding in maternity services. Waste Management. 2017; 61 ():405-414.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYvonne Ryan-Fogarty; Genevieve Becker; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. 2017. "Backcasting to identify food waste prevention and mitigation opportunities for infant feeding in maternity services." Waste Management 61, no. : 405-414.
Stephen Barry; Bernadette O'Regan. A refined method for the calculation of the Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compound emission estimate from Domestic Solvent Usage in Ireland from 1992 to 2014 – A case study for Ireland. Atmospheric Environment 2016, 138, 15 -21.
AMA StyleStephen Barry, Bernadette O'Regan. A refined method for the calculation of the Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compound emission estimate from Domestic Solvent Usage in Ireland from 1992 to 2014 – A case study for Ireland. Atmospheric Environment. 2016; 138 ():15-21.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStephen Barry; Bernadette O'Regan. 2016. "A refined method for the calculation of the Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compound emission estimate from Domestic Solvent Usage in Ireland from 1992 to 2014 – A case study for Ireland." Atmospheric Environment 138, no. : 15-21.
Sustainability transitions have been embraced in regions throughout the world in response to climate change fears, economic decline, public health concerns and environmental degradation. There is increasing evidence to support the idea that the best way of ensuring communities can become more resilient to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation is for them to become more sustainable up to and including an ability to become carbon neutral and energy sufficient. At the core of any sustainability transition is community leaders and stakeholders. These are the people that have first-hand knowledge of what their communities need and what they can offer in terms of local knowledge, services and supports.Urban and rural regions are responding to inadequate actions at national and international level by initiating their own action plans. Community based projects may have an important role to play in promoting the ideals of sustainability and sustainable communities. Community based projects have been shown to have a greater ability to engage and empower local actors and stakeholders than top-down initiatives which, in many instances, have failed.Ballynagran in Ireland serves as a rural case study. A Material Flow Analysis of the community, alongside questionnaire data on energy consumption was used to calculate the potential of the community to generate their energy requirements from resources available within the community. Other community initiatives involve reducing energy consumption through energy upgrades and building retrofitting. The aim is to become a zero CO2 community by 2025. Graphical
Susan Byrne; Bernadette O'Regan. Material flow accounting for an Irish rural community engaged in energy efficiency and renewable energy generation. Journal of Cleaner Production 2016, 127, 363 -373.
AMA StyleSusan Byrne, Bernadette O'Regan. Material flow accounting for an Irish rural community engaged in energy efficiency and renewable energy generation. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2016; 127 ():363-373.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSusan Byrne; Bernadette O'Regan. 2016. "Material flow accounting for an Irish rural community engaged in energy efficiency and renewable energy generation." Journal of Cleaner Production 127, no. : 363-373.
The provision of healthcare creates significant environmental impacts, and their mitigation is being attempted in a variety of ways which vary from nation to nation in line with differing policy priorities and resource availability. The environmental performance of hospitals has been enhanced through, for example, green building, waste and energy management, and product design. However, unpredictable occupant behaviour, new research outcomes and evolving best practice requires healthcare to react and respond in an ever challenging and changing environment, and clearly there is no one set of actions appropriate in all jurisdictions. Many authors have pointed up negative environmental impacts caused by healthcare, but these studies have focused on particular aspects of mitigation in isolation, and are for this reason not optimal. Here it is argued that tackling impact mitigation through a whole system approach is likely to be more effective. To illustrate what this approach might entail in practice, an evaluation of a systematic implementation of impact mitigation in Ireland’s largest teaching hospital, Cork University Hospital is presented. This approach brings together voluntary initiatives in particular those emanating from governmental and non-governmental organisations, peer supports and the adaptation of programmes designed originally for environmental education purposes. Specific measures and initiatives are described, and analysis of results and planned future actions provides a basis for evaluation of successes achieved in achieving mitigation objectives. A crucial attribute of this approach is that it retains its flexibility and connectivity through time, thereby ensuring continual responsiveness to evolving regulation and best practice in green healthcare. It is demonstrated that implementation in Cork resulted both in mitigation of existing impacts, but also a commitment to continual improvement. For such a systems approach to be widely adopted, the healthcare sector needs both leadership from regulators and stakeholders, and strong supports. In Cork it was found that environmental education programmes, especially action and reward based programmes, as utilised by the campus’s academic affiliates in particular University College Cork, were especially effective as a framework to address sustainability challenges and should be developed further. However, within healthcare implementation of environmental initiatives must prioritise patient safety. This approach has now been adopted for delivery across the health services sector in Ireland1.
Yvonne Ryan-Fogarty; Bernadette O'Regan; Richard Moles. Greening healthcare: systematic implementation of environmental programmes in a university teaching hospital. Journal of Cleaner Production 2016, 126, 248 -259.
AMA StyleYvonne Ryan-Fogarty, Bernadette O'Regan, Richard Moles. Greening healthcare: systematic implementation of environmental programmes in a university teaching hospital. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2016; 126 ():248-259.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYvonne Ryan-Fogarty; Bernadette O'Regan; Richard Moles. 2016. "Greening healthcare: systematic implementation of environmental programmes in a university teaching hospital." Journal of Cleaner Production 126, no. : 248-259.
Ensuring education for sustainable development (ESD) programmes deliver meaningful action within society presents significant challenges including systemic integration, consistency of methods, and safeguarding relevance and quality. The Eco-Schools Programme, intended initially as an international environmental educational initiative, has developed, through thematic implementation processes and extensive collaboration with governmental agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to embrace both environmental education and ESD. Eco-Schools evolved from the Blue Flag Programme for beaches and marinas and is coordinated at an international level by the Foundation for Environmental Education. The Programme has operated in Ireland since 1997 with over 93 % of all primary and second level schools currently participating. Students from Eco-Schools progressing further through the education system demanded ESD action on reaching university leading to the development of the Green-Campus Programme (GCP). All Irish Universities and more than half of Institutes of Technology are involved to some extent in the programme with many awarded Green-Campus status, meaning these sites engaged with the GCP, committed to continual improvement and self-elected for verification through detailed assessment processes. The GCP was successfully implemented in Cork University Hospital, Ireland’s largest teaching hospital and has formed strategic partnerships and action platforms with governmental agencies, supporting NGOs and relevant policy initiatives. The evolution and development of the GCP in Ireland was mainly an organic process, however, evaluation of this case study reveals a flexible, dynamic framework which international policy makers and NGOs can imitate in order to champion enduring ESD programmes that are responsive as well as responsible.
Yvonne Ryan-Fogarty; Deirdre O’Carroll; Michael John O’Mahony; Bernadette O'Regan. Development of the Green-Campus Programme in Ireland: Ensuring Continuity of Environmental Education and Action for Sustainable Development Throughout the Irish Education System. World Sustainability Series 2016, 269 -284.
AMA StyleYvonne Ryan-Fogarty, Deirdre O’Carroll, Michael John O’Mahony, Bernadette O'Regan. Development of the Green-Campus Programme in Ireland: Ensuring Continuity of Environmental Education and Action for Sustainable Development Throughout the Irish Education System. World Sustainability Series. 2016; ():269-284.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYvonne Ryan-Fogarty; Deirdre O’Carroll; Michael John O’Mahony; Bernadette O'Regan. 2016. "Development of the Green-Campus Programme in Ireland: Ensuring Continuity of Environmental Education and Action for Sustainable Development Throughout the Irish Education System." World Sustainability Series , no. : 269-284.
Urban areas are increasingly associated with negative environmental impacts due to concentrated resource consumption; however urban areas also offer economies of scale in terms of service provision. There is no accepted mechanism to aid decision-makers in policy selection to determine where to promote population growth or how to select settlement specific policies to improve sustainability of urban areas. There is strong political desire for methods assessing policy implementation impact on overall sustainability targets, but this has proved challenging, as views on the meaning of sustainability vary, and methods developed satisfying scientists’ needs for rigor are deemed too complex and inadequately transparent by decision-makers. Sustainability measurement is vital to check whether a new policy, decision or technical innovation is helpful in enhancing sustainability. By 2055 estimates indicate that 75 percent of the world population will live in urban areas, highlighting the importance of promoting low cost policy decisions providing greatest environmental benefit, with short implementation timescale. This paper describes an evidence-based method developed and piloted to address these drivers and provide a decision support system for planners and policy-makers developed for Irish settlements with population range 500–20,000, which may have application elsewhere.
Brian Fitzgerald; Travis O'Doherty; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. Quantitative Evaluation of Settlement Sustainability Policy (QESSP); Forward Planning for 26 Irish Settlements. Sustainability 2015, 7, 1819 -1839.
AMA StyleBrian Fitzgerald, Travis O'Doherty, Richard Moles, Bernadette O'Regan. Quantitative Evaluation of Settlement Sustainability Policy (QESSP); Forward Planning for 26 Irish Settlements. Sustainability. 2015; 7 (2):1819-1839.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBrian Fitzgerald; Travis O'Doherty; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. 2015. "Quantitative Evaluation of Settlement Sustainability Policy (QESSP); Forward Planning for 26 Irish Settlements." Sustainability 7, no. 2: 1819-1839.
BACKGROUND: Concepts of sustainability are beginning to emerge in relation to appropriate provision of wheelchair and seating assistive technology (WSAT) from design to follow up and management. OBJECTIVES: 1. Raising awareness and understanding of and actively considering the complex nature of stakeholders' participation in the wheelchair and seating provision. 2. Establishing a consensus regarding key goals and sustainability indicators when developing an action plan for sustainable wheelchair and seating provision systems, that would allow for effective process monitoring and measurement. METHOD: Qualitative research design, involving key stakeholder perspectives by utilising a soft systems methodological framework including organisational ethnography and critical participatory action research was chosen to study this complex system. Research processes involved participant observation, individual interviews and a series of collaborative workshops. These processes were made up of four main pillars: 1) stakeholder identification, 2) understanding perspectives, 3) meaningful collaboration and 4) strategy development. Pillars 2 and 3, sought to understand stakeholder perspectives individually and collectively, are addressed in this article. RESULTS: Pillar 2 presents rich pictures which were created to represent collective experiences of wheelchair and seating provision. Pillar 3 presents solutions for building sustainable systems. Findings identified the complexity of the system and key areas for development. Specific concerns reported to exist related to individual and nationwide organisational roles, responsibilities and regulation which appeared to influence the disproportionate rhythm of the wheelchair and seating provision system. CONCLUSIONS: A better understanding of this primary need is required to set provision of WSAT for prioritisation at a public and policy level both nationally and internationally
Rosemary Joan Gowran; Elizabeth Anne McKay; Bernadette O'Regan. Sustainable solutions for wheelchair and seating assistive technology provision: Presenting a cosmopolitan narrative with rich pictures. Technology and Disability 2014, 26, 137 -152.
AMA StyleRosemary Joan Gowran, Elizabeth Anne McKay, Bernadette O'Regan. Sustainable solutions for wheelchair and seating assistive technology provision: Presenting a cosmopolitan narrative with rich pictures. Technology and Disability. 2014; 26 (2-3):137-152.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRosemary Joan Gowran; Elizabeth Anne McKay; Bernadette O'Regan. 2014. "Sustainable solutions for wheelchair and seating assistive technology provision: Presenting a cosmopolitan narrative with rich pictures." Technology and Disability 26, no. 2-3: 137-152.
Ireland reports high levels of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) recycling, yet has conducted little research into the use of recycled aggregates. This study examines whether recycled aggregate can offer a viable alternative to the use of natural aggregate in concrete production. The options available for the use of C&DW in Ireland are investigated together with the effect of recycled aggregate on concrete properties. The environmental impact of extracting and processing natural aggregates is compared to that of recycling aggregate, as are the cost and relative difficulties of reprocessing C&DW for re-use. There is little incentive for the use of recycled aggregate in Ireland. It is not without environmental impact and the long-term durability effects on concrete are still relatively unknown. The material can provide a cost effective alternative to natural aggregate. Recycled aggregate is highly suitable for use in pre-cast concrete products where problems associated with ready-mixed concrete use are not an issue. Retained cementitious properties of the material can also be used to good effect in road construction. Designing concrete with end of life and reuse potential in mind may further increase acceptance of the material. Recycled aggregate use in Ireland lags behind many other European countries, further difficulties may be experienced in gaining acceptance for a largely untested material in light of the recent pyrite controversy. This study may open the way for future research into greater use and the way in which policy could be utilised to fund such research and promote adoption of the material.
Rosemary Byrne; Bernadette O’ Regan. Increasing the Potential for Reuse and Recycling of Construction and Demolition Waste - A Case Study From Ireland. Environment and Natural Resources Research 2014, 4, p245 .
AMA StyleRosemary Byrne, Bernadette O’ Regan. Increasing the Potential for Reuse and Recycling of Construction and Demolition Waste - A Case Study From Ireland. Environment and Natural Resources Research. 2014; 4 (4):p245.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRosemary Byrne; Bernadette O’ Regan. 2014. "Increasing the Potential for Reuse and Recycling of Construction and Demolition Waste - A Case Study From Ireland." Environment and Natural Resources Research 4, no. 4: p245.
Susan Byrne; Bernadette O'Regan. Attitudes and actions towards recycling behaviours in the Limerick, Ireland region. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2014, 87, 89 -96.
AMA StyleSusan Byrne, Bernadette O'Regan. Attitudes and actions towards recycling behaviours in the Limerick, Ireland region. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2014; 87 ():89-96.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSusan Byrne; Bernadette O'Regan. 2014. "Attitudes and actions towards recycling behaviours in the Limerick, Ireland region." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 87, no. : 89-96.
Policy making to promote more sustainable development is a complex task due in part to the large number of both stakeholders and potential policies. Policy feasibility testing provides a guide to the viability and practicality of policy implementation and forms an important part of an evidence based policy making process. An extensive literature review has identified no standardized approach to feasibility testing. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by describing a novel method using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for feasibility testing of policies aimed at increasing the sustainability of towns and villages in Ireland. Feasibility results are provided for 40 frequently cited policy interventions tested for 18 settlements in Ireland. Policies were selected in the arenas of transport, food, housing and urban form, energy, waste and water. Policies are feasibility tested through analysis of operational evidence from both quantitative and qualitative data sources. Following testing, policies are ranked in terms of feasibility. This research examines the effectiveness of local and national level policies and the importance of both local community involvement and central government regulation in policy success. The inter-settlement variation in feasibility testing scores prioritises policy selection and aims to reduce cherry-picking of policies to support the viewpoints of the decision maker. Although developed for an Irish urban context the methods described here may have applicability elsewhere.
Travis O’Doherty; Brian Fitzgerald; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. A novel method for feasibility testing urban sustainable development policies. Spatium 2013, 1 -6.
AMA StyleTravis O’Doherty, Brian Fitzgerald, Richard Moles, Bernadette O'Regan. A novel method for feasibility testing urban sustainable development policies. Spatium. 2013; (30):1-6.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTravis O’Doherty; Brian Fitzgerald; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. 2013. "A novel method for feasibility testing urban sustainable development policies." Spatium , no. 30: 1-6.
David Browne; Bernadette O'Regan; Richard Moles. Comparison of energy flow accounting, energy flow metabolism ratio analysis and ecological footprinting as tools for measuring urban sustainability: A case-study of an Irish city-region. Ecological Economics 2012, 83, 97 -107.
AMA StyleDavid Browne, Bernadette O'Regan, Richard Moles. Comparison of energy flow accounting, energy flow metabolism ratio analysis and ecological footprinting as tools for measuring urban sustainability: A case-study of an Irish city-region. Ecological Economics. 2012; 83 ():97-107.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDavid Browne; Bernadette O'Regan; Richard Moles. 2012. "Comparison of energy flow accounting, energy flow metabolism ratio analysis and ecological footprinting as tools for measuring urban sustainability: A case-study of an Irish city-region." Ecological Economics 83, no. : 97-107.
Brian Fitzgerald; Travis O’Doherty; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. A quantitative method for the evaluation of policies to enhance urban sustainability. Ecological Indicators 2012, 18, 371 -378.
AMA StyleBrian Fitzgerald, Travis O’Doherty, Richard Moles, Bernadette O'Regan. A quantitative method for the evaluation of policies to enhance urban sustainability. Ecological Indicators. 2012; 18 ():371-378.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBrian Fitzgerald; Travis O’Doherty; Richard Moles; Bernadette O'Regan. 2012. "A quantitative method for the evaluation of policies to enhance urban sustainability." Ecological Indicators 18, no. : 371-378.