Corporate water footprint, Potentially the next tipping point Energy and resources and Water Charge predictions 2012 Deloitte’s third energy predictions report provides interesting food for thought as we embark on 2012. The report provides key insight into the key themes which will impact the energy and resources sector in 2012, including volatility in commodity prices, breakthroughs in nanotechnology, new technologies in oil recovery and the future of oil field services. Commenting on the report, Michael Flynn, Partner, Deloitte said: “Over the last twelve months, there has been no shortage of themes impacting energy and resources globally. But perhaps one which is particularly pertinent to both companies in the sector and Irish companies in general, given recent water shortages, is that of the corporate water footprint, potentially the next ‘tipping point’ for energy companies and which this report highlights will be one of the key themes throughout 2012. From developing a better understanding of overall water usage and water intensity to understanding the specific kinds of business risk that emerges from water use in addition to the water opportunities that can emerge from adeptly managing water use, this report provides a number of steps which energy and resources companies can take now to seize control of their water usage.”In a recent Globescan/Circle of Blue survey of 15, 000 people over 15 countries, water related themes represented the number one and number two concerns identified, with even climate change ranked sixth. This will not come as a shock to those of us in Ireland - in the past year we have seen water supply disrupted country wide, with local authorities warning of water shortages because of dwindling reservoir supplies and burst pipes due to the harsh weather. In Ireland, 43% of water is wasted through leakages in the water system and while the launch of the NewERA project, which will oversee the investment of €4.2 billion to upgrade Irelands water infrastructure and deliver economies of scale by bringing all of Irelands water assets under the ownership of one state company, should deliver real improvements in this area, businesses in Ireland now need to play their part in terms of consumption. And those operating in the energy and resources sector should be leading the way in this regard. WATER CHARGES IN IRELAND AND ENERGY RESOURCES www2.deloitte/content/dam/Deloitte/ie/Documents/Energy%20Resources/EnergyandResourcespredictions2012_DeloitteIreland_EnergyResources.pdf Analysis of Budget 2015 and its Impact on Children Published date: Thursday, October 23, 2014 The Budget brought many positives and no new cuts, and is therefore to be warmly welcomed. The headlines included: increased allocation to some departments, maintenance of social welfare rates at current levels, tax reform, an increase to Child Benefit, further investment in the Child and Family Agency, a new Back to Work Family Dividend and a raft of initiatives to create jobs and address housing needs.However, Budget 2015 did not reverse the cumulative effect on children of the past seven budgets. Future budgets must build on Budget 2015 by investing in children to truly realise children’s rights in Ireland. Analysis of Budget 2015 and its Impact on Children childrensrights.ie/sites/default/files/submissions_reports/files/Analysis%20of%20Budget%202015%20and%20its%20Impact%20on%20Children.pdf Budget 2015 represents a turning point for the Irish economy. Let us bring you back through the years to see how far we’ve come download.pwc/ie/pubs/2014-budget15-info-are-we-there-yet.pdf Why Budget 2015 must be that last of its kind Oct 17, 2014 Budget 2015, equality budgeting, FLAC, Free Legal Advice Centres, Human Rights Budgeting Human Rights in Ireland welcomes this guest post from Yvonne O’Sullivan of the Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC). Yvonne is Advocacy and Policy Officer in FLAC. Speculation on budget measures had circulated in media outlets in the final days before Budget 2015. Reports before the budget abounded that the architect group, the Economic Management Council (of Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform), had signed off on a suite of complimentary tax measures, benefiting lower to middle income earners as well as committing to investing in social housing stocks which were made real on budget day, Tuesday 14th October. Most people would agree that these are welcome measures, especially in the wake of serial austerity budgets, but how the Council reached such decisions deserves some attention. As an example, let’s look at water charges. Huge public opposition to these new and significant charges, manifest in last Saturday’s mass demonstration, reportedly triggering the EMC to build into the budget a degree of financial support for those unable to pay for their water usage. Although these supports will aid some social welfare recipients and low income earners to pay for their water services, it is ultimately an extra cost which is not fully offset from the income gained in the reductions in USC and the income tax rates. However, we have to ask why the government has only now taken on board the concerns of the public around affordability, when these water charges were announced last year in Budget 2014? Surely the time to assess the impact on the public would be from the time the government started planning to introduce the charge? Why would you wait until the Budget Day, after months of stress and worry for ordinary householders, inflamed by rumour on possible waivers and cost, and especially after the charges have already begun? Have these new charges made it impossible for people to live in dignity? Will water supply be adequate, affordable and accessible after charges are introduced? Has the state done an impact assessment on introducing these charges? The fact that we cannot answer some or indeed any of these questions exemplifies the problems at the heart of budget decision-making. It reveals a lack of a clear and considered approach by government to reaching such hugely important decisions. As a legal rights group with a focus on basic human rights, FLAC has been advocating for an alternative approach that could provide fairer outcomes and in particular avoid disproportionately impacting on vulnerable groups – and in such a way that is clear to all affected on how exactly such decisions are reached. A human rights-based approach to budgeting relies on certain key principles of human rights law such as consultation, transparency and accountability. At present, there is a pre-budget consultation process between one government department – the Department of Social Protection – and civil society groups; other departments invite no consultation at all. Clearly much needs to be done; budgeting is a year-round process and each department needs to regularly consult with groups on the ground as to what budgetary measures are useful or potentially damaging. Budget 2015 did not promote an adequate standard of living through the social protection system specifically looking at the rates of payments ignoring the State’s human rights obligations under a variety of human rights treaties to “progressively realise” all economic, social and cultural rights even in times of recession and economic recovery. No impact assessment has been published yet on what effect maintaining the current rates of social protection for those dependent on the State would have. But instead of a clear, transparent budget process, we had well-planned leaks intended to gauge public support – but not before the decisions have been rubber-stamped and certainly not seeking public input. How can this be an appropriate method to ensure that budget decisions are fair and appropriate and that they have ‘buy-in’ from the general public? All budgetary measures have implications for realising human rights, therefore budgetary processes and decisions have to reflect how these rights have been considered. Along with a host of other civil society organisations working on the ground, FLAC is calling on the government to use a human rights framework for budgeting. We are asking the State to put the issues of adequacy, affordability and accessibility at the heart of its thinking on public spending and access to public services; we are saying that the State must meet its duty to protection a minimum core for the right to adequate housing, the highest attainable standards of health, social security, fair wages and education; and to safeguard in particular the rights of people with disabilities, minorities, children and elderly people. FLAC held a post-budget seminar, Fairer Budget Fairer Society: A human rights analysis of Budget 2015 from Irish civil society on 16 October. This seminar built on the understanding of a human rights approach to budgeting and revealed civil society’s view on how the budget has considered human rights concerns through a survey of organisations’ responses to Budget 2015. More at bit.ly/fairbudget2015 Fair budget, fair society: A human rights analysis of Budget 2015 from Irish civil society 16 October 2014 FLAC advocates for the application of a human rights framework to the budgeting processes and decisions in our pre-budget submission. Budget Day affects every person in the State and ensuring that the decisions made are fair and transparent could be achieved using human rights law as guidelines. FLAC has organised a post-budget seminar, Fairer Budget, Fairer Society: A human rights analysis of Budget 2015 from Irish civil society on Thursday 16 October 10am-12pm in the European Parliament Information Office on 43 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. This seminar is similar to last year’s joint post-budget event, organised by FLAC and the Equality Budgeting Campaign, as a coordination of civil society organisations and elected representatives to analyse the budget from a human rights law perspective. The seminar will start with a panel of speakers, including Des Hogan of the Legal Unit in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Prof. John Reynolds, Lecturer of Law at NUI Maynooth, June Tinsley, Policy Officer at Barnardos and Michael Taft, Economist and Research Officer withUnite, the union. Organisations taking part will have completed a survey on how theyfeel the human rights of their clients/target group were considered in Budget 2015. The results of these surveys will be presented on the day as a human rights analysis of the budget. In the final part of the seminar, groups will take the floor to voice their reactions to Budget 2015, considering the human rights impact on the people they work with and highlighting what recommendations they believe could lead to a fairer budget. A briefing document on A Human Rights Approach to Budgeting was prepared for this seminar. FLAC has also produced other material on the subject of human rights in a recession, such as the paper on Respecting Rights in a Recession and a FLACsheet in Realising Rights in a Recession. If you would like to attend the seminar and/or take part in the survey, please contact us to confirm your attendance. Registration is from 9:45 so please come as early as you can! Pre-budget submission 2015 A submission by FLAC to the Department of Social Protection flac.ie/download/pdf/flac_pre_budget_submission_2015_final_dsp.pdf Briefing: A Human Rights Approach to Budgeting flac.ie/download/pdf/flac_briefing_on_human_rights_approach_to_budgeting.pdf Progressive Realisation and Non-regression Date: Friday, August 3, 2012 Given the resource and knowledge restraints faced by many countries, the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights recognizes the fulfillment of economic and social rights can only be achieved over time, and calls for the progressive realization of ESCR. Progressive realization of ESCR does not mean that governments do not have obligations in terms of these rights until a certain level of economic development is reached but rather that there will be continual progress on the status of these rights and therefore states should take deliberate steps immediately and in the future towards the full realization of ESCR. Governments, no matter what level of resources they have at their disposal, must take immediate steps within their means towards the fulfillment of these rights. Several international documents, e.g. the Limburg Principles, and CESCR General Comment 3 have identified steps that can be taken immediately for any level of resource availability. For example, the elimination of discrimination and improvements in the legal and juridical systems do not necessarily pose a burdensome drain on resources. In many cases ESCR are violated not because resources are not available, but rather because they have been misallocated. At any level of resource availability, priority must been given to ensuring peoples basic economic, social and cultural rights, and there must continual progress on peoples enjoyment of ESCR. Non regression Regressive steps in regard to ESCR are in contradiction to the progressive realization principle and constitute a violation of these rights-unless if they have been duly justified and weighted against the enjoyment of other ESCR. Regressive steps include all of those acts, of omission or of commission on the part of the state, which deprive people of rights that they used to enjoy. States should refrain from cutting subsidies for essential goods such as food, water and energy if they will cause undue hardship on people. Reducing spending on education, health care or other social services are a violation of ESCR unless the state can prove that they do not have the necessary resources. Human Development Report, hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/reports/14/hdr2013_en_complete.pdf Neuroscience and the Law Brain, Mind and the Scales of Justice aaas.org/sites/default/files/migrate/uploads/NeuroLawSummary.pdf FLACsheet Realising Rights in a Recession Ireland has signed several international human rights treaties which impose strong commitments on the country to uphold and promote human rights and dignity under diverse categories, ranging from economic and social rights to childrens rights to refugee rights. But when money is short and there are cutbacks in all areas, how can Ireland as a country maintain its human rights standards? flac.ie/download/pdf/2011_09_14_realising_rights_in_a_recession_factsheet_final.pdf Respecting Rights in a Recession flac.ie/download/pdf/maintaining_rights_in_a_recession_final_27_july_2011.pdf
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 10:22:23 +0000
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