New research, published by the EPA, shows how economic forecasts can be used to project waste generation and emissions of pollutants across Ireland.

The ISus (Irish Sustainable Development) Model is based on the work of a three-year study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), funded under the EPA STRIVE research programme.

Speaking about the findings of the research, Dr. Mary Kelly, Director General, EPA said: "This model, developed by the ESRI, is very welcome. We are all aware of the use of GDP and other statistics to measure economic change. These, however, leave many things unmeasured, including the environment.

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"The ISus model provides a link between economic forecasting and potential environmental impacts. This enables us to use the expertise of the ESRI, in relation to economic data, and link this with the environmental data produced by the EPA. The results will aid policy and decision makers to diagnose environmental problems, identify pressure points, target policy interventions and assess their success.

"For example, projections on the generation of biodegradable waste – how much and where - could be a very useful tool for planning the location and required capacity for waste management infrastructure in the future."

ISus covers more than 25 potential pollutants (to air, water and waste) emanating from 20 economic sectors.

"The EPA is very happy to be working in collaboration with ESRI on this project and hopes to be able to reap the benefits of the work in producing forecasts and projections for environmental impacts based on different scenarios in the future," Dr Kelly added.

(NS/BMcC)