Finding Common Ground Festival
RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 From Thursday, May 2 to Friday, May 3, 2024
The RDS Summit on Biodiversity and Sustainability (SBS 2024) aims to bring together scientists, researchers, policymakers, industry professionals, practitioners, advocates and RDS Members to explore the latest advancements, challenges, and solutions in the fields of biodiversity conservation and sustainable practices.
The 2-day event will look at issues around Biodiversity and Sustainability through an evidence based (and practical application) lens across our key programme areas; Agriculture, Arts, Equestrian, Enterprise and Science & Technology, with a view to creating increased awareness, education and identification of solutions to act now.
This festival seeks to address one of the key goals in our strategy; to find a common ground that allows us to harness the benefits of Irish natural resources and circular bio-economy (including agriculture and forestry) while also leaving the world in a better state than we found it.
Please find below the programme.
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Summit Forest Futures – Delivering Eco-system Services from Irish Forests
Moderator: Helen Carroll, Journalist and Broadcaster
Opening Remarks – Jackie Cahill, Chairperson of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Marine
Rapporteur – Dr Cathal Geoghegan, Postdoctoral Researcher, Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit (SEMRU), J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, University of Galway
Presentation papers:
Dr Patrick McGetrick, University of Galway, Timber for Sustainable Construction, SAOLWood
Prof Aine Ni Dhubhain, Professor of Forestry, UCD, School of Agriculture and Food Science
Dr Bruna L. Longo, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick
What we can do: Current examples of good practice and learning.
Henry Phillips, Consultant and Chair of the RDS Forestry Awards
Dr John Devany, Forest Ecology and Global Change Lab, Maynooth University
Prof Brian Tobin, Professor of Forestry, UCD, School of Agriculture and Food Science
Tom Houlihan, Acting Head of Forestry Development Department, Forestry Specialist, Teagasc
Making it happen: Institutional System Solutions
Marina Conway, CEO Western Forestry Co-operative Society
Prof Mary Ryan, Teagasc, Forest Recreation, ForOwn, WaterMARKE
Jason Fleming - IFA, Forestry Committee Chair
Seppi Hona, Regional Forest Inspector, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine
Wrap up:
Dr Eugene Hendrick, COFORD Chair, SmartEarth Ireland
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Science & Technology programme - workshop
This session is by invitation only.
If you are interest, please send an email to Niamh.deloughry@rds.ie
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RDS Forestry & Livestock Awards
The 2024 Shortilists can be viewed below:
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Vision 300 Finding Common Ground, delivering on the vision
Based on the RDS Enterprise Committee's Vision 300 series, a thematic panelled interactive discussion on the challenges and opportunities of delivering on the Vision of a changed environment, economy and society as Climate Change impacts across sectors.
An interactive session will be moderated by Dearbhail McDonald between panellists:
Anne Marie Henihan, Centre Director at the Dairy Processing Technology Centre (DPTC)
Tom Arnold, Irish agricultural economist and public policy advisor
Garrett Quinn, Group Chief Sustainability Officer at Smurfit Kappa
PJ Ryan, Head of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG), CIF
And the audience
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RDS Circular Economy Awards is a new initiative developed by the RDS in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin to recognise Irish businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators making a positive difference in meeting the climate change challenge.
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Summit Delivering Biodiversity on Agricultural Land
Delivering Biodiversity on Agricultural Land – draft outline:
Moderator: Helen Carroll, Journalist and Broadcaster.
Part 1: Presentations by:
- Dr Jane Stout, Vice President for Biodiversity and Climate Action
- Dr James Moran, Senior Lecturer in Ecology at Atlantic Technological University
Followed by panel discussion - What we can do: Current examples of good practice and learning;
- Oonagh Duggan, Head of Advocacy, Bird Watch Ireland,
- Eddie Punch
- Pamela Boyle (PhD), Head Ecologist, Nature and Land Use Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Part 2: Presentations by:
- Dr Brendan Dunford, Environmental consultant, Co-founder and Director of Burren Beo Trust
- Iseult Sheehy, Head of Operations, Business for Biodiversity
Followed by panel discussion - How we can make the changes necessary happen;
- Geraldine O’Sullivan, Irish Farmers Association, Senior Policy Executive
- Stewart Gee, Designer Producer, EIT Climate-KIC RIS
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RDS Sustainability Awards
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Equestrian programme - workshop
This session is by invitation only.
Equestrian programme – workshop purpose
- To create an awareness amongst the equestrian community to the challenges, opportunities and realities of the biodiversity and sustainment situation as it presents currently.
- To have an information lead conversation regarding the selected topics related to:
- Water quality
- Fertiliser
- Slurry
- Renewable Energy
- Animal Welfare
- To introduce to a representative body from the Irish Equestrian Community the concepts relating to biodiversity and sustainment as they pertain to the Equestrian community.
