Climate Research Coordination Group: Second Report on Activities: January - December 2019

Authors: This report has been prepared by the EPA on behalf of the Climate Research Coordination Group, May 2020

Summary: This second report presents a summary of the Climate Research Coordination Group’s activities in 2019.

Published: 2020

ISBN: 978-1-84095-906-2

Pages: 60

Filesize: 3,457 KB

Format: pdf

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The Climate Research Coordination Group (CRCG) was established under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2014–2020 Research Strategy. The CRCG acts to coordinate climate change-related research in Ireland. It does so by supporting and promoting coordination between relevant research funding organisations and by providing a forum for the exchange of information on activities and plans. A key objective is to advance shared strategic objectives for climate change research and ensure coherence in climate change research investments in Ireland and effective linking of these to European Union (EU) funding streams. The CRCG is facilitated by the EPA. Its membership is made up of departmental officials, local authority representatives, state agency representatives and relevant stakeholders, who either fund or use outputs from climate change research.

This document responds to Action 11 of the 2017 National Mitigation Plan (NMP) and contributes to achieving Action 14 of the 2019 Climate Action Plan (CAP). These require that the CRCG provides an annual report on its activities. The NMP also requires an assessment and synthesis of key findings from the research programmes and wider research activities every 5 years.

The 2019 report presents a summary of investments, progress on strategic goals and related developments during 2019, as well as activities over that period. It builds on and updates the material from the first CRCG report (June 2017–December 2018)[1].

Activities detailed in this 2019 report cover competitive research funding committed by members of the CRCG, leveraged funding from EU schemes and core research activities carried out by CRCG members over the period from 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2019. This report is based on the information provided by the members of the group. This report does not provide an assessment or synthesis of the funded research, which is the aim of the 5-year Assessment Report.

In summary, in 2019:

• Based on the information provided, 72 new climate-related research competitive awards were made during the reporting period, with a total budget commitment of €23.1 million. In addition, Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) awarded €19.3 million towards Phase 2 of the MaREI (Marine and Renewable Energy Ireland) SFI Centre, which covers, but is not limited to, climate-related research. Among these 72 projects, collaboration between CRCG members was evident through the co-funding of 21 research projects, with a committed budget of €6.8 million.
• In excess of €3.4 million was also reported for core activities in 2019, i.e. research activities that are funded by the organisation and performed in-house.
• The Irish research community leveraged €29.8 million of funding under Horizon 2020 (50 projects), €15.1 million of funding from Interreg (11 projects) and €14.4 million of funding under the LIFE Programme for climate-related research projects. In addition, three climate-related COST Actions involving Irish partners were approved in June 2019.
• Five new members joined the CRCG, namely the National Economic and Social Council, Enterprise Ireland, Irish Water, the Built Heritage and Architectural Policy Unit of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and the Office of the Planning Regulator.
• The CRCG held three meetings. In addition, three workshops involving CRCG members took place in 2019.
• In addition, one workshop took place in September 2019 in relation to the scoping of the 5-year assessment and synthesis of research report (required under Action 11 of the 2017 NMP and contributing to Action 14 of the 2019 CAP).