Office of Environmental Sustainability

The Office of the Environmental Sustainability has a wide remit that aims to achieve a well regulated, climate-resilient, resource-efficient and environmentally engaged society that ensures protection of the environment, the wellbeing of citizens and sustainable competitiveness for our economy. The office is responsible for:

• Authorisation of specified activities (licensing of large Industrial and waste activities under the Industrial Emission Directive (IED), Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) and Waste Regulations; Urban Waste Water Discharges; Dumping at Sea; Historic landfills, Volatile Organic Compound emissions; GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) users in Ireland and Local Authority recycling activities.
• EU Carbon Emissions Trading, Registry Operation and Kyoto Project Mechanisms.
• Preparing the National GHG, air pollutant and waste Inventories & Projections.
• Activities that underpin our Resource Efficient Ireland Strategy, for example, implementation of the National Waste Prevention Programme, reporting on national waste statistics, waste classification and supervision of producer responsibility schemes. 
• Implementing multiple hazardous substances reduction and elimination programmes.
• Managing the national pollutant release and regulated activity registries.
• Production of targeted information, advice and guidance to assist compliance and enable sustainable behavioural change.
• Climate science.

Learn More

Find out more about licensing section activities

Find out more about producer responsibility and chemicals control at:

• Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment
• Hazardous substances restriction
• REACH chemicals control
• PCB's
• POP's
• Coal Baggers

 Find out more about Waste Prevention, Waste Classification and Waste Statistics