The CSO reports GHG emissions through the SEAI M&R performance measurement system. This allows the CSO to analyse its gap to target and design strategic interventions that will have the most significant impact on emissions.
Green Public Procurement (GPP) is a process where public authorities seek to source goods, services or works with a reduced environmental impact.
The CSO is committed to ensuring that where practicable, Green Public Procurement is incorporated into our procurement processes for public contracts.
CSO Procurement Support will review guidance and circulars on green procurement to support greener public procurement by business areas and develop systems to gather and record data on GPP implementation.
CSO will also examine and implement Circular 20/2019 Promoting the use of Environmental and Social Considerations in Public Procurement.
The Climate Action Mandate requires public bodies to review paper-based processes and evaluate the possibilities for digitisation, so it becomes the default approach.
In quarter 1, 2024, the CSO ICT survey was digitised and therefore moved from a paper-based process. This resulted in CSO not printing 40,000 initial letters and 67,000 reminder letters (as two reminders would be required). This also resulted in the saving of 107,000 envelopes.
This further resulted in monetary and carbon savings, as these items were not required to be posted.
A digitisation policy is currently being developed within the CSO.
The Climate Action Mandate also requires public bodies to track water use. CSO will plan to track water usage in 2025, informing any initiatives for reducing water use across all three buildings in the future. The CSO has water refill points available for all staff, currently the use of these points is not monitored.
The CSO had, in 2023, piloted the use of centralised bins, eliminating the use of individual bins across the three locations. This proved very successful and was subsequently rolled out in all offices. This will enable us to track waste production and manage waste segregation more efficiently. All waste in the CSO from 2024 will be segregated under at least three streams, general waste, organic waste, and recyclable waste. CSO also has confidential paper recycling and glass recycling.
The CSO is working on reducing and managing food waste across all offices. The segregating of waste within the organisation allows for food waste amounts to be tracked. The Dublin offices have kitchens within which the staff can prepare and store food. Organic waste bins are available in the kitchens and the weight of food waste is tracked. In the Cork office a third-party contractor offers canteen services. All tender agreements include the requirement for food waste to be monitored and reduced.
The CSO complies with Circular 01/2020: Procedures for Offsetting the Emissions Associated with Official Air Travel. This Circular asks Departments to record the carbon emissions associated with all official air travel (in tonnes).
Pay an amount equivalent to the travel emissions impact into the Climate Action Fund.
| Year | Distance in KM | Co2 emissions in tonnes | Price per tonne | Cost |
| 2020 | 123,633 | 12.05 | €26.00 | €313.36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,228 | 1.48 | €33.50 | €49.43 |
| 2022 | 496,415 | 56.01 | €41.00 | €2,296.41 |
| 2023 | 647,532 | 70.28 | €48.50 | €3,408.58 |
Table: Offsetting Emissions Associated with Air Travel in the CSO
The CSO also works to incentivise staff to use public transport where possible, for official travel. Staff travelling for work between the Dublin and Cork offices are encouraged to use public transport in lieu of the private car. Only in exceptional circumstances is mileage approved for official business travel.
The CSO provides all staff with reusable cups and water bottles, as well as providing water refill points, to ensure there is no use for single use cups.