Agriculture’s rising emissions, Core secures €150m offer, and trust in media increases

Ireland is one of just three EU member states to record an increase in greenhouse gas emissions from livestock over the past seven years and is one of the highest emitters per hectare of agricultural land, reports Eoin Burke-Kennedy.

The findings are contained in a report by the European Court of Auditors, which examined efforts to reduce emissions from agriculture.

Bríd Horan, one of the outgoing chairpersons of a Government initiative which aims to achieve gender balance in business, speaks to Peter Hamilton over concerns that some women will reduce their working hours or opt out of the workforce altogether due to the pandemic.

Irish people have become more interested in the news over the past 12 months, while levels of trust in the news have also increased amid high levels of concern about what is real or fake on the internet, according to a major new report that Colin Gleeson examines.

Hammerson development on 1916 site will add €1bn to economy – report

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Staff from US firm to join DAA at Dublin Airport

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Goodbody and Eirgrid clash over tax exemptions for Reits

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US rectifies ‘do not travel’ virus warning for Ireland

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Sticking with the media industry, the Government has sought a meeting with paper and packaging group Smurfit Kappa over a proposed deal to sell full control of a Meath newspaper printing plant to a company owned by News UK & Ireland, the Rupert Murdoch-controlled publisher of titles including the Sun and Sunday Times. Mark Paul has the details.

A proposal from Goodbody Stockbrokers to exempt investment in land earmarked for green energy from some taxes could clash with the national grid operator's efforts to control where such projects are located, sources say. Goodbody executive Joe Gill recently suggested to Minister of State Ossian Smith that laws governing Reits be extended to land used for renewable energy development, to boost investment in green projects. Barry O'Halloran reports.

Barry also reports that staff from global engineering group Bechtel will join DAA in a new deal to aid the State airport's capital spending programme.

DAA is working on a series of long-term building projects to prepare Dublin Airport for future demand and has hired Bechtel as “integrated partner” for the the capital spending programme.

In his analysis on the Irish aviation industry following Aer Lingus's appearance a the Oireachtas transport committee yesterday, Barry writes that while TDs are fighting their local constituencies' corners for greater supports for the decimated sector, they have also backed Government policies on travel curbs that have hurt the industry.

Joe Brennan reports that Fitch has upgraded much of Digicel's $5.5 billion (€4.62 billion) debt pile from a rating that flagged a real possibility of default, but warned the Denis O'Brien-owned telecoms group's recent history of "aggressive" actions against bondholders will continue to drag on its creditworthiness.

In Commercial Property, Core Industrial has secured an offer of €150 million for Dublin logistics asset. Ronald Quinlan reports CBRE and Eastdil are understood to have selected four international investors to advance to the next round of the sales process.

Ronald also reports that German-headquartered logistics provider DB Schenker has acquired 14.2 acres of land at the Liffey Business Campus in Leixlip, Co Kildare for a new logistics facility. Ronald Quinlan has the details.

You can read all of the rest of today's Commercial Property news here.

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