UCD Earth Institute Democracy & the Environment Series II Expert Advice & The Environment

Democracy and the Environment Series II: Expert Advice & the Environment

Tuesday, 30th April 2024. 12:00 - 14:00 MoLI (Museum of Literature Ireland; 86 St Stephen's Green Dublin 2.

Welcome to the UCD Earth Institute Democracy & the Environment Series II: Expert Advice & The Environment event! Join us at the MoLI – Museum of Literature Ireland for an exciting in-person discussion on how expert advice influences environmental decisions with a focus on transport and climate action. Learn from academic experts, industry professionals and thought leaders as they share their insights on the intersection of democracy and the environment to inform policy. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to engage with experts in the field and gain valuable knowledge on this important topic. Secure your spot now!

The upcoming session, 'Expert Advice and the Environment' will focus on the role of impartial, unbiased and objective evidence based advice to provide recommendations for environmental policy, advice policy makers and advance technological solutions to improve human health, and quality of life, address pressing issues related to the environment, climate adaptation and sustainable development.

The seminar will feature environmental economics expert Dr Finbarr Breretron (Head of UCD Environmental Policy, School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy) in a conversation panel with the participation of Anne Graham CEO of the National Transport Authority and, Shane Timmons Senior Research Officer from the Economic & Social Research Institute, hosted by Earth Institute Director Professor Eoin O'Neill, and facilitated by Dr Linda Fox-Rogers (UCD Ad Astra Fellow, School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy).

The audience will be able to engage in a Q&A session, and participants will be able to make connections with similar perspectives around the outline of expert advice, citizen trust in public institutions and the environment in Ireland, facilitated by a light networking lunch at the end of the seminar.

This event will be hosted in person, and capacity is limited. We ask that you register only if you can attend this event.

UCD Earth Institute Democracy and the Environment Series

The UCD Earth Institute presents the 'Democracy and the Environment Series', a sequence of seminars and discussions focused on the role of democracy and the environment, citizen trust in public institutions, and the sustainability agenda in the context of the local, national, European and presidential elections.

This event will be hosted in person at the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) in Dublin, and capacity is limited. Advance registration is required.

Context: 2024 The Most Important Year for Democracy

2024 is the most significant election year in history. Approximately 60 countries representing more than half of the world's total population will elect their representatives in presidential, legislative and local elections across the globe. From South to North America, across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, citizens will vote in the most ambitious year for democracy. In many countries, at the centre of the elections, amongst other topics, climate change, sustainability and climate transition will be part of the conversation that will decide the future of each country. The relevance of this year's elections deserves the facilitation of a space to highlight the work of the researchers and connect it with the broader society, including citizens, local authorities, politicians and academia, enabling a space for collaboration and conversation.

Biography

Dr Finbarr Brereton

Dr Finbarr Brereton is a Lecturer in Environmental Policy with UCD Planning and Environmental Policy. He is an Environmental Economist with a PhD (Environmental Policy) on the topics of Quality of Life and the Economics of Happiness. Finbarr's research interests focus on exploring the determinants of subjective well-being, specifically the spatial environmental determinants. More recently, his research has focused on people's perceptions of, and behavioural responses to, environmental externalities caused by natural hazards and human activities. He has published papers in high quality international peer review journals such as Ecological Economics, Risk Analysis, Environmental Hazards, European Urban and Regional Studies and Natural Hazards. He is a member of the UCD Earth Institute.He has secured significant research funding to date from national and international funding agencies and is / was involved in a number of research projects including, inter alia, FloodPAP exploring flood risk perceptions, Energy for Well-being examining the influence of energy mix on well-being in Europe, and HAPPINESS (HAPpiness, Political Institutions, Natural Environment and Space). He has a keen interest in all areas of survey design and implementation, and with Prof. Peter Clinch, was the National Coordinator of the European Social Survey (ESS) Rounds 6 and 7 in Ireland, funded by the Irish Research Council.

Panel Discussion

Anne Graham CEO, National Transport Authority

Anne Graham is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Transport Authority. Since 2015, Anne has led the agency responsible for the provision, regulation and integration of public transport services, the provision of supporting infrastructure for sustainable transport and for driving the greater use of sustainable transport as a mode of choice.

Previously serving as the Director of Public Transport Services for the NTA, she also worked in the Dublin local authorities as a Chartered Civil Engineer in the drainage, roads and traffic divisions, as a Project Manager on the redevelopment of Dublin’s O’Connell Street area and, as an Area Manager in the South West area of the city.

Anne graduated from UCD with an engineering degree and is a Chartered Engineer. She holds an MBA from DCU and a Master of Engineering Science and Transport from UCD.

Shane Timmons Senior Research Officer - Economic & Social Research Institute

Shane is a Senior Research Officer with the Behavioural Research Unit (BRU). With a background in psychology, he is interested in the factors that influence judgements and decision-making in a range of domains. He works with the BRU to inform policy development and implementation using research and methods from behavioural science, primarily on projects related to the environment and consumer decision-making. He also holds a BA and PhD in Psychology and PG Cert in Statistics, all from TCD. Prior to joining the ESRI, Shane taught modules in statistics and research skills at TCD, DCU and American College Dublin.

Session Chair:

Linda Fox - Rogers Assistant Professor Ad Astra Fellow - UCD School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy Dr. Linda Fox-Rogers is an Assistant Professor in Regional and Urban Planning in the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy at University College Dublin and is currently programme director of the Masters in Regional and Urban Planning. Linda graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2007 with a B.A. (Mod) in Geography and Sociology and is a fully qualified planner having obtained a Masters in Regional and Urban Planning in UCD in 2009. She also holds a PhD in Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy from UCD and a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education Teaching from Queen's University Belfast.

Linda's research is guided by her interest in the analysis of governance processes in the fields of spatial planning, urban development and environmental policy. She is particularly interested in exploring how the uneven power dynamics between the multiple stakeholders involved in the planning process play out to produce substantive social, economical and environmental outcomes which often negate sound planning practice. Set against this concern, her current research spans three thematic areas: 1) Power and politics in the planning system; 2) The neoliberalisation of the state and planning; and 3) Stakeholder perceptions of planning. Linda is currently leading a team of researchers from UCD, TUD and UCC on an EPA funded project which is examining the barriers to septic tank remediation in the Republic of Ireland.

Host or Publisher UCD Earth Institute