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Project title

Development of a cleaner production and consumption audit specification for industrial estates

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University College Cork (UCC)

Lead Applicant

Aveen Henry

Project Abstract

idaris na Gaeltachta in its role as managers of multiple business parks across the country had previously participated in an Interreg 3C project called the EcoLAND project. The main aim of the EcoLAND project was to help industrial areas to become compliant with current environmental policy and legislation and to become better equipped to meet the needs of sustainable development.An environmental audit of a business park which also figured in the EcoLAND project was commission by idaris na Gaeltachta in July 2004; conducted by D. Kelly & Associates. An Environmental Audit Template that could be used to conduct environmental audits of other idaris na Gaeltachta managed business parks was produced. idaris na Gaeltachta in October 2004 commissioned CPPU to convert the Environmental Audit Template into a working tool to assist idaris na Gaeltachta management personnel to conduct regular environmental reviews of their business parks. Through CPPU's work with idaris na Gaeltachta and that of D. Kelly & Associates it became apparent the iindividual companies on the estate should be encouraged to conduct a site specific environmental audit of their activitiesi (D. Kelly & Associates 2004 Section 3.1 p11) so as to effectively manage the environmental aspects of the business park. As the environmental audit carried out on the estate did not interact with individual companies on the business park there was a clear need for individual company participation to achieve better overall environmental management and performance of idaris na Gaeltachta business parks. idaris na Gaeltachta and CPPU proposed that a scholar be funded to carry on the work of the EcoLand project; to work with the micro and small businesses in the business parks to identify CP opportunities. The intention is that idaris na Gaeltachta will replicate the lessons learned from this study in other business parks. Two business parks located in Co. Cork (Business Park 1) and Co. Kerry (Business Park 2) were presented to the researcher for the purposes of this study.1.2 Scope of the ResearchThe main research objectives were to identify and assess the potential for CP in the micro to small businesses within the business parks. Because the companies were located in either of two business parks it became clear to the researcher very early in the study that there was potential to apply the IndustrialEcology (IE) concept. The scope of the research then became the assessment of CP opportunities and IE opportunities. Because there was a multiplicity of businesses the researcher had to decide where he was going to drive deep with a specific number or cover a broad range of businesses. The researcher decided to cover a broad range of businesses. This was seen as advantageous with regard to identifying IE opportunities while also identifying CP opportunities within the businesses. Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are a very important part of EU's economy especially within the micro to small category. According to the most recent reports of the EU's Observatory of European SMEs there are more than 19.3 million SME enterprises in the European Economic Area and Switzerland providing employment for 140 million people and accounting for 92% of all enterprises (EC SMEs 2004 p9). Authors Richard Starkey Richard Welford William Young Michael Brophy Pall Rikhardsson and Carrie Johnson note in an European Environment Agency publication iEnvironmental Management Tools for SMEs: A Handbooki published in 1998 that: ithe relative contribution of SMEs to the total industrial environmental impact is unknown but it is likely to be considerable given their contribution to total production and their dominance in sectors such as metals printing textiles etc.i (EEA 1998). It is within this context that the Irish EPA launched the CGPP; to assist Irish businesses (both SMEs and larger enterprises) improve their environmental performance through applied CP strategies. This study contributes to the aims of EPA's CGPP and goes beyond its research aims by presenting a number of support tools to assist companies implement such strategies

Grant Approved

�16,105.00

Research Hub

Cleaner Production - Green Enterprise - Innovation and Demonstration

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

n/a

Initial Projected Completion Date

n/a