On 25 June 2020, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton, T.D. published the first set of new guidelines to help businesses in key sectors save money and minimise waste as they reopen.

Full guidelines will be published in the coming weeks so that enterprise can embed sustainability and climate action into their business, as they reopen after COVID-19.

This first set of guidelines are aimed at supporting SMEs in the construction industry to embed sustainability as they reopen after COVID-19. Minister Bruton said:

“… These guidelines will not only help enterprise to embed sustainability across their business, making them more resilient in the long-term, but will also be helpful in showing how to keep costs down which will be crucial over the coming period.”

Up to 80 per cent of a project’s profit can be lost due to poor waste management and up to 17 per cent of profits can be lost due to poor energy use. These guidelines set out simple steps to help businesses save money by reducing water use, waste and energy, including installing a thermostat in drying rooms to prevent overheating, reducing idling times of plant machinery to reduce excess fuel use and emissions, segregating and reducing waste and advice on take-back schemes.

The next guide due to publish in the series will provide support to the hospitality sector as it prepares to reopen. Tips on preventing food waste and saving water and energy will demonstrate how significant financial savings can be made by making small changes.