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.
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).
The CSO pays 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 |
| 2024 | 829,814 | 76.39 | €56.00 | €4,277.84 |
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.
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 reviews guidance and circulars on green procurement to support greener public procurement by business areas. From 2024 onward, we have included Green Award Criteria in all our Requests for Tenders.
Our internal Procurement Support team is engaging with contract Managers to include green criteria in all RFT’s over the applicable national thresholds.
If we cannot find a matching GPP Criterion from the GPP Criteria Search Tool to match the RFT requirements, we will always ensure that contract managers include their own criterion on environmental considerations in the RFT where suppliers are asked to describe their efforts to reduce their impact on the environment.
Internal Procurement support encourages contract managers to use green criteria in competitions below the applicable thresholds, wherever possible.
The CSO has also developed a Procurement Plan outlining our actions going forward, for example GPP reporting requirements, training and awareness (required in Buying Greener/Circ 17/2025).
We have also referenced Buying Greener and Circ 17/2025 and the new reporting requirements in the next iteration of our internal Procurement Policy which is currently being finalised.
We work with OPW, who independently tender for all our construction and demolition projects. OPW are also responsible for any energy-related works, such as heating systems and indoor and outdoor lighting.
The Climate Action Mandate requires public bodies to seek a minimum of 10% by value (€) of food under new contract arrangements to be certified organic, where possible. The CSO will include this requirement in future canteen tenders.
The CSO is working on reducing and managing food waste across all offices.
The segregation of waste within the organisation allows for food waste amounts to be tracked.
The Dublin offices have kitchens within which staff members 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 procures the majority ICT end-user products through the Office of Government Procurement framework. Framework members are compliant with EU environmental Regulations i.e., WEEE, RoHS, and they are, or their vendors are, members of Product Registration Ltd. Devices that can be procured are certified to third-party environmental certification e.g., Emery Star, EPEAT, TCO.
The Climate Action Mandate requires public bodies to review paper-based processes and evaluate the possibilities for digitisation, so it becomes the default approach.
The CSO continues in its digitisation of various surveys, therefore moving away from paper-based processes. In the first three quarters of 2025, a significant reduction in paper usage was achieved by cancelling the sending of some survey reminders. Overall, we printed and posted 250,000 fewer items by the end of quarter three than projected. 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 CSO provides drinking water refill points for all staff in all our offices, and staff have been supplied with a reusable water bottle. All new staff are supplied with one in their induction packets. Where water rates are paid by CSO, water usage is measured and monitored. CSO’S water usage for the organisation as a whole is below 10,000m3.
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.
The canteen service in the Cork office provides cutlery and crockery; there is no provision of single use cups, plates, etc.
To support Ireland’s Producer Responsibility initiatives in the collection and recycling of products including the Deposit Return Scheme, the CSO provides bins for general recycling, which is encouraged in our centralised segregated bin system throughout our offices.
The CSO is investigating options for participating in the Deposit Return Scheme, in anticipation of redemption mechanisms consistent with staff preferences for the management of funds arising.
All waste in the CSO is segregated under at least three streams: general waste, organic waste, and recyclable waste.
CSO also has confidential paper recycling and glass recycling.