The aims of the programme are:

• contribute to a better environment by producing better data and information based on sound science
• generate new data, information and knowledge for improved management of the environment
• develop new techniques and methods for measuring, recording and predicting the quality of the environment
• increase environmental responsibility in various areas of the economy through the development of practical methods for the integration of environmental considerations into policies and programmes of the main economic sectors

The content of the ERTDI programme is drawn up based on a consensus designed to ensure that the views of those with an interest in environmental research are taken into account. Consultations to date have taken place through correspondence, meetings and using electronic conferencing. The programme also takes account of the issues identified by the EPA through its periodic state of the environment and indicators reporting. Relevance to policy is ensured through consultation with researchers and policy makers across a broad range of economic sectors. The main issues identified in the latest state of the environment report called 'Ireland's Environment: A Millenium Report' (EPA,2002) were:

• Eutrophication of inland waters
• Urban environment and transport
• Waste and litter
• Climate change
• Protection of natural resources

As the programme currently stands, there are eight main areas of activity. The research content of these areas can be summarised as follows:

1. Water
The programme's water quality research is focussed in two main areas of research: Eutrophication from agriculture and Forestry and water quality. The former topic has four main aspects, sources and pathways of nutrient losses, seasonal variation of P losses from soil and field management and nitrate leaching from soils. The Forestry Water projects are being funded in partnership with the Council for Forest Research and Development (COFORD). These projects focus on determining the best practice for forestry plantation and management, particularly with regard to fertiliser application and minimising the threat from acidification. In addition to these large-scale projects there a number of medium scale projects on topics such as ecological assessment of lakes, endocrine disruption in fish, impacts on groundwater and priority research to meet the needs of Water Framework Directive.

2. Greenhouse Gases (GHG) and Climate Change
Research on greenhouse gases in Ireland consists of ten linked projects aimed at improving information for the refinement of emissions inventories of GHGs, assessment of the impact and of indicators of climate change in Ireland and studies of the factors influencing global temperatures.

Climate Change research is focussed on expanding work necessary for improvement of emissions inventories through intensive measurement of a number of key sources and sinks (e.g. grasslands, peatland and arable land) and studies of GHG interactions. A regional scale model is being developed and a more in-depth assessment is being carried out of the impacts of climate change in Ireland using statistical downscaling techniques.

3. Air Quality
Main focus of research is vehicle emissions with three projects in this area examining the nature and origin of PM10, modelling air quality and predicting the impact of traffic on air quality in a number of urban and regional locations. These projects will assist the development of the monitoring network in line with the requirements of the EU Air Framework Directive.

4. Biodiversity
The UN convention on biodiversity noted that there was a lack of baseline data regarding biodiversity. Research in this area aims to correct this shortcoming with two large projects studying biodiversity at different stages of the forest cycle and developing a baseline of biodiversity in intensively farmed land.

5. Waste management
There are fourteen projects being carried out in this area which can be divided into two main categories (i) recovery of materials from waste streams and (ii) reprocessing options and treatment options for high volume organic waste. All of these projects are applied and aimed at finding practical solutions to problems related to waste management in Ireland.

6. Environmental and Socio-economics
This is a new area of research introduced into the programme in 2001. Research in this area is focussed on filling in some of the knowledge gaps that exist in relation to sociological and environmental interaction. The research topics include studies on the determination of monetary values for environmental assets, exploring attitudes towards the environment and an examination of the role of fiscal incentives in encouraging environmentally conscious use of resources and minimisation of emissions.

7. Soils, Land Use, Transport
There are a number of projects being carried out in the area of soils, land use and transport. The projects on soils include work to establish a national soils database, work on carbon cycling and sequestration in soils. The land use projects are mostly in the area of land use planning, aimed at meeting some of the information needs of the national Spatial Strategy Unit in the Department of Environment and Local Government. Transport studies to date have been confined to desk studies on impacts of transport on the environment and methods to determine the economic valuation of the environment for roads impact assessment.

8. Cleaner Greener Production
This measure is aimed at encouraging industry, particularly small and medium-size companies, to produce goods and services in more environmentally friendly ways. The long-term goal is to ensure that cleaner greener production becomes the established norm in Ireland. The Cleaner Greener Production Programme seeks to promote environmentally friendly business through increased resource productivity, waste reduction, recovery of materials, improved efficiency in a product value chain, energy management and a change of culture within organisations. It is focussed on avoiding and preventing adverse environmental impact rather than treating or cleaning up afterwards.

Benefits of the ERTDI programme

Some of the benefits of the programme may be summarised as follows:

• Better knowledge of water pollution pathways,
• More accurate estimates of GHG emissions,
• Better assessment of PM10 levels in urban areas,
• Baseline data on biodiversity of 2 land types,
• Practical waste management strategies and guidelines,
• Insights into application of fiscal incentives and into attitudes of Irish people to the environment,
• Role model companies promoting the benefits of cleaner production
• Increased capability in the number and competence of highly qualified personnel in environmental research.

Outputs from the ERTDI Programme

The ERTDI programme aims to support the highest quality research in priority areas of the environment, as outlined above. Funding is allocated through open competition announced in the main daily newspapers in both the North and South of Ireland. The principles guiding the allocation of funding are quality and relevance of the proposals to meet priority needs. As a general principle it is intended that findings of all ERTDI research projects will be put in the public domain mainly through publication of final reports and/or on the EPA web-site (www.epa.ie).

The Agency endeavours to promote interest in the projects by organising workshops and seminars. Events of this type planned for the remainder of 2002 include:

• Seminar for the PhD research students (September 2002)
• Workshop on data management to support Climate Change research (August 2002)
• Information day on the Agriculture and Eutrophication (December 2002)

Further information on the ERTDI programme and on the projects being funded by the programme may be obtained through the R&D pages of the EPA web-site (www.epa.ie).