The Irish economy needs stimulus and the most effective way to do this is to implement an immediate jobs program backed by newly issued, low-yield tax-backed Jobs Bonds. This will provide the financing necessary for such a program without adding to Ireland’s already substantial interest burden. [...]
This paper, prepared by members of Feasta, asserts that the climate crisis demands a new paradigm of global governance. It was written with specific reference to a project currently being undertaken by the World Resources Institute which arose out of an initiative by members of Feasta and the United Nations Environment Programme and is supported by the Government of Ireland. The WRI project “aims to highlight the best proposals for the institutional design of an international climate change regime”.
The Smart Taxes Network has just submitted an Implementation Paper to the Irish Government which aims to provide policymakers with guidance on the implementation of Site Value Tax in Ireland, assessing actual and possible obstacles, and providing solutions. You can read a summary and download the full report here.
Feasta recently made a submission to the Irish Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government on their guidelines for Sustainable Residential Developments in Urban Areas.
In general, we welcome these Guidelines and Urban Design Manual as they comprise a good outline of current best practice, an improvement on the current situation. But we fear that the Guidelines are too late; they address an economic reality that is rapidly changing; they largely ignore pressures in rural areas and they are not ambitious enough to properly address the energy, climate and social challenges currently facing Ireland.
This submission covers a range of topics related to taxation. It includes an outline of the reasoning behind Feasta’s advocacy of a shift from taxes on work to taxes on rent (such as a land value tax) and the need for a quota system to control carbon emissions.
This submission can be downloaded as a PDF Version.
Feasta made this submission in collaboration with CELT (Centre for Environmental Living and Training). It explains the reasoning behind using carbon sinks as a way to mitigate climate change and suggests ways to incorporate the use of sinks into existing agricultural practice in Ireland.
The full submission can be downloaded as a PDF Version
The Environmental (Ecological) NGO is an umbrella group of Irish NGOs which includes Feasta, and this submission to the Irish National Sustainable Development Strategy discusses the urgent need for a change in Irish governmental policy on the environment. It emphasises the need for effective risk management, a focus on wellbeing rather than GDP as a goal, recognition of commons rights in addition to information, communication and participation rights, and decentralised and democratised energy and carbon capture.
The Environmental Audit Commission of the United Kingdom Parliament is investigating the feasibility of introducing Personal Carbon Allowances to control greenhouse gas emissions. Feasta member Laurence Matthews was invited by the EAC to supply information about Cap and Share, and the text of the submission can be downloaded here.
The Feasta climate group has participated in the current review of the workings of the EU’s emissions trading system by proposing that all Europe’s transport emissions should be capped and tradable permits for the tonnage of carbon dioxide involved distributed each year to every adult EU resident. The Executive Summary is included below, or download the full document.
Richard Douthwaite, co-founder of Feasta and much-loved colleague and friend, died on November 14th 2011 after a long illness. We will miss his unique and far-ranging intellect, the clarity of his thought and writing, his warmth and his laughter. Tributes to him have come in from around the world and you can read them here.
In line with his wishes, we are continuing with our scheduled events and publishing of articles.
Professor Mary Mellor –
Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Northumbria
Chair of the Sustainable Cities Research Institute
Date: Saturday 11th February, 6pm
Venue: Boole 2, UCC, Cork
Date: 17th, 18th & 19th of February, Cloughjordan, Tipperary.
The aim of this weekend conference is to introduce the CSA concept to communities and growers on the island of Ireland. The event will bring together food producers and emerging Irish CSA’s while creating networking and learning opportunities with experienced initiatives from across Europe.
Feasta’s Autumn conference examined measures that this country could adopt to secure its economic future which would not leave it reliant on external factors largely outside of its control. Scenarios explored included the potential collapse of the eurozone. The conference featured prominent international and Irish economists and was aimed at economists, politicians, policy-makers, business people, social partners, and other key decision-makers.
‘Land value tax’ would be fairer, says Mark Drakeford AM Welsh Labour AM Mark Drakeford has given his backing to a “land value tax”. The Cardiff West AM’s championing of the tax comes as the Silk Commission investigates giving the Assembly new fiscal powers. In an article for the Institute of Welsh Affairs, Mr Drakeford [...]
Ronan Lyons’s report on Site Value Tax in Ireland is available for download. The report assesses the obstacles to implementing SVT in Ireland and how these can be overcome. It also assesses the revenue potential of the tax and the distribution of land values in Ireland.
By Philip Pilkington, a journalist and writer living in Dublin, Ireland. Cross posted in Naked Capitalism In 2008 profits in the US economy crashed out. But they soon bounced back. This bounce was largely due to the profits being reaped in the financial sector – which sickened many given that 2008 was in large measure [...]
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