MODOS, an innovative circular economy training programme for micro, small and medium size enterprises is going national this Autumn to help businesses across Ireland build sustainability into their post-COVID recovery. A joint initiative of the Waste Management Plan Lead Authority (WMPLA) and Dublin City Council (DCC), MODOS will equip SMEs to apply circular economy principles in their business, helping them reduce waste and carbon emissions while creating opportunities to save money, increase resilience and boost competitive advantage.
Moving to a circular economy, where materials are continuously re-used and recycled, is essential if Ireland is to meet its greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets under the national Climate Action Plan. According to research by the Ellen McArthur Foundation – a leading authority on the circular economy – around 45% of GHG emissions reductions will come from applying a circular approach to how we make and use products and produce food (with the other 55% coming from switching to renewable energy sources).
As well as helping the environment, going circular could have huge social and economic benefits. In Europe alone it could save 450 million tonnes of carbon by 2030, create 580,000 jobs and save €600 billion for EU businesses, equivalent to 8% of their annual turnover. With the European Union introducing new policy and regulations for a low-carbon economy and the Irish government bringing in new Green Procurement standards, Irish businesses need to understand and apply circular economy principles. Doing so will help to future proof their business and enable them to #buildbackbetter.
Joanne Rourke [Resource Efficiency Officer] at the Waste Management Plan Lead Authority said: “With SMEs making up 99% of Ireland’s economy, it is vital that these businesses embrace circular thinking. MODOS gives SMEs the practical advice and support they need to do this. At DCC we want to help Dublin-based businesses be more sustainable and successful and we see circular economy thinking as key to both. Building on the 2019 MODOS pilot we are excited to be expanding the programme beyond Dublin in 2020, creating a national programme in partnership with the WMPLA and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs).”
MODOS will be delivered online in September and October 2020. There is a Dublin MODOS programme for businesses based in the Greater Dublin Area and a National MODOS programme for businesses based in the rest of the country. Participants will be charged a nominal €25 per training session, with a discounted price of €75 for those who choose to do all four training modules. To give potential participants a sense of what is involved in the training and what the benefits are, there will be free one hour taste session happening for the National MODOS programme on Friday 28th August.
For full details on MODOS and to register for training modules, businesses should visit: www.modos.ie
