State 'can't wait for green economy'

Ireland cannot afford to wait before investing in the green economy, the director general of the Environmental Protection Agency has said.

Speaking at the organisation’s annual conference, Mary Kelly said there were significant economic opportunities for Ireland in becoming a low-carbon and greener economy.

But if we are to maintain and improve Ireland’s environment for current and future generations we must keep investing in it, she said.

The two-day EPA conference in Croke Park, Dublin, began this morning and included speakers from equivalent organisations in Northern Ireland, Sweden and the US.

Ms Kelly said fundamental changes would be required to ensure that economic recovery, when it comes, is low carbon and sustainable.

“It will require imagination, innovation and new ways of working and it will also require investment in research and development, infrastructure, in systems and lots more,” she said.

But she warned that many countries had already identified the green technologies which could give Ireland a competitive advantage.

“Ireland cannot afford to wait; if we want the green lining we are looking for we need to invest or we will be left behind,” she said.

Joe Harford, chairman of the Government High Level Action Group on Green Enterprise echoed Ms Kelly’s remarks. He said the global environmental goods and services market was one of the best performers despite the downturn.

There was an estimated all Ireland market of €2.8 billion excluding construction, he said.