# data[].attributes.body
Learning Outcomes

1.9 and 2.5

Learning Intentions

I will learn about consumer responsibilities

I will reflect on the impact of my shopping.

I will learn about the impact businesses have on the environment through the production of clothes.

How might you use this stimulus material in class?

This video provides a great introduction to Fast Fashion - defining the problem and outlining the role of social and financial organisations in the industry.

Support resources: the question quadrant provides open and closed questions to support student discussion.

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Learning Outcomes
1.1 2.1 2.2 3.8

Learning Intentions

How I use my personal resources - the impact on individuals, society & the environment

I will learn about Ireland's commitment/responsibility as a member of the EU

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

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Animation - Energy and the European Green Deal

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Learning Outcome:

3.10

Learning Intentions:

1. Identify the links with education and economic development and income equality

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

Using the Human Development Index will show the inequalities that exist between different countries under headings of Income, school years, and life expectancy.

Interactive site where students can compare different countries.

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Country Insights | Human Development Reports

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Access and explore human development data for 191 countries and territories worldwide.

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LO's:

2.1 Identify different types of financial, cultural and social enterprise and appreciate the role each plays in society;

3.2 Explain how individuals, organisations (for profit and not-for-profit) and the government work together to distribute economic resources used to produce goods and services

LI's:
Students will...
(a) Examine and define the meaning of social enterprise
(b) Evaluate the contribution of social enterprise to society and the economy.

How to use?

Worksheet with questions from video clip.

Question Quadrant including critical thinking questions about social enterprises with students working in pairs. Scaffolding students learning from factual and recall (e.g. what is a social enterprise and what is food cloud?) to critical analysis (e.g. how beneficial are social enterprises, how does a social enterprise like food cloud contribute to the SDG's?).

Finish with walking debate.

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What is FoodCloud? Meet founders Iseult and Aoibheann

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Households that spend more on food, waste less – study (rte.ie)
Learning Outcomes:

Learning Intentions:
1 Learn about food waste
2 Learn about being a responsible consumer
3 Reflect on buying locally
4 Making the connection between food we consume and the environmental impact

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A study carried out by students from the business and environment schools at University College Cork has found that households who pay more for food, waste less of it.

Reducing food waste is a simple climate action that people can take on an individual level by making more sustainable choices when buying groceries.

By making the connection between the food we consume and the environmental impact it has, shoppers can make a big difference to carbon, land and water footprints globally.

Michael Kelly, founder of GIY (Grow It Yourself) and Grow HQ in Waterford said: "It all started for me with a bulb of garlic".

Mr Kelly was working as an IT salesman until he had a lightbulb moment while doing the weekly shop in 2005.

"I had an interest in food, but I wasn't really thinking about where it came from. I went to pick up a bulb of garlic to throw it into the trolley and noticed that it said product of China. I think it said, 'fresh from China' actually on the label," he said.

Mr Kelly said the finding shook him out of his complacency about what he was buying.

"It was the first time I'd seen a food import from China. I decided to try and grow my own garlic and see why we were importing it from China. Can it not be done here?" he said.

The story of Grow HQ in Waterford

Mr Kelly says their research by GIY shows food growers develop food empathy, which has a profound effect on other grocery items, including reducing how much meat they buy and making other sustainable purchasing choices.

He said growing food takes a long time and a lot of effort and people are less likely to waste it with the knowledge and understanding of what it takes to produce it.

Mr Kelly believes growing just one vegetable can help change your mindset when buying food.

"It's quite a simple thing to grow. You stick one clove into the ground and eventually over about six months, that clove turns into a bulb," he said.

"The cloves are spaced about 10 centimetres apart in the ground. You could grow them in a window box, you might get three or four bulbs in there. It's ideal if you have a little raised bed in the garden or whatever, and actually it's quite good value for space so you could grow 50 bulbs of garlic quite easily.

They store quite well then, you can hang them up in a braid in your kitchen and congratulate yourself every morning on how amazing you are as you walk past."
More than half of food and drink in Ireland imported
Data from the CSO's Food and Agriculture Value Chain analysis indicates that 51% of food and drink consumed by Irish households in 2018 was imported.

This figure does not include total food imports, which would also include restaurants, animal feed and raw ingredients for processing.

To date, no CSO data is available to indicate the impact of Brexit on our food and drink imports.

Dr Ultan McCarthy, lecturer at the Department of Science at Waterford Institute of Technology said that currently within our food systems, depending on the type of food product, you can waste anywhere between 30% to 50%.

"That figure relates right from the farm up to the consumer. Just to set the context, for every euro or dollar that's invested in that supply chain, you do expect to waste 30 to 50 cents of it," he said.

Dr McCarthy believes more emphasis is needed in engaging with the consumer to allow them to make more informed decisions on what they are buying and how they use it.

"The more information you have the better. That allows you to make your own personal choice because people do want to make choices about the food that they intake or that they consume," he said.

"We're imparting our money, our hard-earned money on this, so we do want that element of value to show them what we do buy, we do care about."

Globally, more than a quarter of food produced is wasted or lost, contributing 8-10% of total emissions.

It can be difficult for a consumer to decide if some food is more environmentally friendly than others.

Food that has been grown locally and is in season is one indicator that produce is likely to have less environmental impact, compared to food grown out of season using greenhouses or been transported long distances.

Growing just one vegetable can help change your mindset when buying food, according to Michael Kelly

Other indicators that might be less obvious to the consumer include how much land or water usage was involved in production.

Foundation Earth has launched pilots this Autumn to test consumer response to environmental labelling for food.

The aim is to make it easier for consumers to make sustainable choices and to connect the dots at production level, to reduce the level of environmental impacts.

The founder of Foundation Earth, the late Northern Ireland entrepreneur Denis Lynn, had a vision to create a market driven solution to the food industry with transparent, credible, science-based, environmental labelling on an international basis.

The pilots, launched in September will trial a traffic light, colour-coded style labelling system, similar to the nutritional system, and an easy to understand 5-scale label A-E.

CEO of Foundation Earth Cliona Howie said: "it is very important to make it simple, readable and understandable for the consumer who only has about nine seconds to make a decision when they're choosing a product."

"The lifecycle assessment is very comprehensive. It comes from across water usage, water pollution, carbon use, transport, packaging, biodiversity, and much, much more.

"The consumer can also use a QR code to digitally go in and find out where that impact actually sits, whether it is because of transport, packaging or carbon use."

Ms Howie said consumers have the power to make more sustainable choices with better information.

"There is an absolute appetite for more sustainable products that is not realised only because there's a lack of trust in the current system," she said.

That lack of trust means that consumers won't quite be able to make the decision to bring in sustainable criteria when they're going to the shop."

The pilots will run over 12 months and Foundation Earth is optimistic it will provide vital data to scale the environmental labelling system over the coming years.

Without this type of environmental data, shoppers might still struggle with which products to choose given that two foods which look, taste and cost the same can have very different environmental impacts.

However, the Environmental Protection Agency is advising consumers that there is a simple way to increase their climate action within the home, by reducing food waste.
One million tonnes of food waste a year
Ireland produces 1 million tonnes of food waste every year, with a quarter of that coming from households.

The Environmental Protection Agency's Foodwaste Prevention Team Lead Odile Le Bolloch encourages meal planning, buying less and considering what resources you are throwing out every time you put food in the bin.

"You've wasted all the resources that go into that produce. To grow food, you need land, you need water, you need the farmers time, there's machinery to harvest, there's transport, refrigeration, so all those different steps along the supply chain have used energy and created global emissions to bring it to our homes," she said.

"And in fact, it's the food waste that is down at that end of the supply chain that has the most resources embedded in it, because it's come all the way down. So, it's actually really the important place where we do need to reduce waste."

Reducing food waste has been identified as the third most effective climate action we can take.

"People don't realise that there's something happening in our kitchen every day. So really, if you could look in your kitchen and, as we like to say, reducing food waste is the climate action you can take three times a day at every mealtime," Ms Bolloch said.

That would mean consumers have three choices a day, seven days a week to make sustainable decisions or how we choose, use or waste our food.

This ties in with how consumers can help to reduce global food waste on an international scale.

Goal 12 under the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals is committed to Responsible Production and Consumption.

Its target is to halve global food waste and reduce food losses in supply chains by 2030.

"It's a challenging target and you have some people thinking maybe that it's the retail sector, maybe it's the food supply chain, and really it's all along the chains," said Ms Bolloch.

"We need industry to play its part, we need retail to play its part, we need the growers to play their part, and householders need to play their part too."

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Households that spend more on food, waste less - study

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A study carried out by students from the business and environment schools at University College Cork has found that households who pay more for food, waste less of it. Reducing food waste is a simple climate action that people can take on an individual level by making more sustainable choices when buying groceries.

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Learning Outcomes:
11.5
21.9

Learning Intentions
1
2
3

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?
Get them to look at how much waste is generated at home and how they could reduce it

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How can how we solve the planet's food waste problem? - BBC News

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Learning Outcomes

2.4 and 2.5

# data[].attributes.body
Learning Outcomes:
12.5
2

Learning Intentions
1
2
3

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?
look at what can be done with the food waste that is being produced. Investigate if there is anything like this in Ireland

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Food waste recycling - creating a circular economy

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Child Labour in the Fashion Supply Chain

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Child Labour in the Fashion Supply Chain

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Learning Outcome
2.4

Learning Intentions
1
2
3

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Where, why and what can be done

Around 260 million children are in employment around the world, according to the International Labour Organisation (pdf). Of them, the ILO estimates that 170 million are engaged in child labour, defined by the UN as "work for which the child is either too young - work done below the required minimum age - or work which, because of its detrimental nature or conditions, is altogether considered unacceptable for children and is prohibited".

Child labour is forbidden by law in most countries but continues to be rife in some of the poorest parts of the world.

The ILO estimates that 170 million are engaged in child labour, with many making textiles and garments to satisfy the demand of consumers in Europe, the US, and beyond

The situation is improving. ILO estimates suggest child labour declined by 30% between 2000 and 2012, but still 11% of the world's children are in situations that deprive them of their right to go to school without interference from work.

Many of these child labourers work within the fashion supply chain, making the textiles and garments to satisfy the demand of consumers in Europe, the US, and beyond.

Why does it exist?

Where is it happening?

The countries highlighted above were identified by SOMO as particularly notorious for child labour in the textile and garment industry

Children work at all stages of the supply chain in the fashion industry: from the production of cotton seeds in Benin, harvesting in Uzbekistan, yarn spinning in India, right through to the different phases of putting garments together in factories across Bangladesh.

In the cotton industry, children are employed to transfer pollen from one plant to another. They are subjected to long working hours, exposure to pesticides and they are often paid below the minimum wage. In developing countries where cotton is one of the main crops, children are enlisted to help harvest the delicate crop and reports suggest (pdf) they work long hours sowing cotton in the spring, followed by weeding through the summer months.

An estimated 170 million children are engaged in child labour, or 11% of the global population of children, according to the International Labour Organisation

At the next step of the chain, in the yarn and spinning mills, child labour is rampant. The SOMO report (pdf) found that 60% of workers at the mills it investigated in India were under-18 when they started working there; the youngest workers were 15 when they joined.

Children also work in the "cut-make-trim" stage, when clothes are put together. SOMO says: "In garment factories, children perform diverse and often arduous tasks such as dyeing, sewing buttons, cutting and trimming threads, folding, moving and packing garments. In small workshops and home sites, children are put to work on intricate tasks such as embroidering, sequinning and smocking (making pleats)."

What are the challenges?

One of the biggest challenges in tackling child labour in the fashion supply chain is the complex supply chain for each garment. Even when brands have strict guidelines in place for suppliers, work often gets sub-contracted to other factories that the buyer may not even know about.

Ovaa says: "Companies that sell their products in Europe and the US have no clue where the textiles come from. Maybe they know their first supplier and there are codes of conduct in place, but further down the chain in the lower tiers it is very difficult to understand where the cotton comes from."

Tackling child labour is further complicated by the fact it is just a symptom of larger problems. Where there is extreme poverty, there will be children willing to work cheaply and susceptible to being tricked into dangerous or badly paid work.

Lotte Schuurman at the Fair Wear Foundation says if parents have no education they will end up in low-paid work; their children will be forced to work, they will miss out on their education, and they too will end up in low-paid work as adults. "You need to get out of that vicious circle of poverty to decline child labour," she says.

What can businesses do?

Credits:

Writer Josephine Moulds
Commissioning editor Jenny Purt
Art direction and design Tim Shearring and Ian Richardson
Video and map photography Kimberly Hoang
Map embroidery Jessica Thompson
Images Getty Images, Panos, Gallery Stock
Producer Daniel Turner

About this site

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Child labour in the fashion supply chain

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Learning Outcomes
2.4 and 2.10

Learning Intentions

I will learn about the rights of employees

I will debate the advantages and disadvantages of remote learning on the employer/employee

I will learn about the impact increased remote working could have on the environment

How might you use this stimulus material in class?

This article is a current news story and illustrates how the world of work is constantly evolving and how workers rights must be updated accordingly

Students could study the article in pairs/groups before debating the issue in terms of the possible social, environmental and economic impact of the decision to allow remote/hybrid working

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Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said an employee of six months standing will be able to apply for remote working, under a heads of bill passed by Cabinet today.

The employer must reply to the request within 12 weeks.

If the employer is refusing a request under 13 listed conditions, it must be for a specified and what he termed "good" reason.

The Tánaiste said any refusal by an employer to facilitate an employee can be appealed to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

He said he wants the legislation published by Easter, and passed the Oireachtas by the summer recess.

Mr Varadkar said any WRC decision is expected to be binding but there is a possibility of going to the Labour Court.

He added that compensation could apply to an employee, in the case of an employer being ruled against.

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Tánaiste @LeoVaradkar sets out the procedure for applications under draft legislation guaranteeing the right to apply for remote work. Employers will have to give 'a solid reason that stands up' in order to refuse an application | https://t.co/gk4gmxFcGx pic.twitter.com/I3Lh2MD6Ww
- RTÉ News (@rtenews) January 25, 2022

The Tánaiste said: "Up until now, remote and home working has been imposed on a lot of people due to the public health restrictions. Now that they have been lifted, I want it to be a choice.

"I want workers to be able to work from home or remotely or hybrid if they want to. So long as the business gets done and services are provided, employers should facilitate it.

"I know throughout the pandemic, many employers have gone to great lengths to give their employees as much flexibility around where they work as possible. We want this to continue.

"The world of work has changed and I know many would like to retain some amount of remote working once Covid is behind us."

Mr Varadkar said the new law "will give every employee the right to request remote working from their employer.

"Employers will be required to provide reasonable grounds for refusing to facilitate an employee's request. These grounds are set out in the legislation and we will develop Codes of Practice to provide guidance to help employers implement the new law.

"It will give employers and workers legal clarity on remote working, which became the default for many during the pandemic."

The Right to Request Remote Working Bill 2021 will, for the first time, provide a legal framework around which requesting, approving or refusing a request for remote work can be based.

All workplaces must have a written statement which sets out the company's Remote Working Policy, specifying the manner in which remote working requests are managed and the conditions which will apply to remote working generally within the organisation.

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As set out in the legislation, an employer can decline a request for remote working under the following conditions:

The nature of the work not allowing for the work to be done remotely

Cannot reorganise work among existing staff

Potential negative impact on quality

Potential negative impact on performance

Planned structural changes

Burden of additional costs, taking into account the financial and other costs entailed and the scale and financial resources of the employer's business

Concerns re the protection of business confidentiality or intellectual property

Concerns re the suitability of the proposed workspace on health and safety grounds

Concerns re the suitability of the proposed workspace on data protection grounds

Concerns re the internet connectivity of the proposed remote working location

Inordinate distance between the proposed remote location and on-site location

if the proposed remote working arrangement conflicts with the provisions of an applicable collective agreement

Ongoing or recently concluded formal disciplinary processes

Responding to the expected publication of the right to request remote work Heads of Bill, Irish Congress of Trade Unions general secretary Patricia King said: "It took a pandemic to fully awaken us to the potential for remote working.

"While working from home has been fraught for some workers, for the vast majority it has been a positive experience and there is now a big demand for legislative access to such flexible working arrangements.

"Working from home or remotely from another location close to home, such as a rural hub, has many advantages for workers' quality of life, for businesses, communities, and the environment.

"That is why ICTU was first to call for legislation requiring employers to give justifiable reasons why they cannot concede a worker's request to work remotely, bringing us into line with long-established employment law in European peer countries," Ms King said.

Patricia King of ICTU (file pic)

"It is imperative that the legally defined criteria for refusal balances the practical needs of the employer and the needs of the employee, as is the case in existing workers' rights legislation.

"The litmus test for this legislation is whether workers have confidence that it compels employers to be fair, reasonable, and consistent in their considerations.

"The 13 sweeping and subjective criteria published today do not strike a balance between employer and employee needs. They duplicate and extend on the eight business reasons for refusing a request contained in current UK legislation.

"Reasons which have been found to allow employers to retain and use their unfettered ability to turn down requests for remote working and which are now subject to review," added Ms King.

Small Firms Director, Sven Spollen-Behrens said: "The legislation published by Government today is significant in the way workplaces will function in the years ahead, but the right to request remote work must be balanced by the fundamental need of a business to operate effectively."

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said it was "disappointing" that the Bill does not make provisions for flexible working.

Read more
Will laws on remote working really make any difference?
Do your managers trust you if they can't see you working?

It said that in its current form, the new law would give workers the right to request where they work, but not when and how.

Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Workers' Rights, Louise O'Reilly, said the Tánaiste's 13 "sweeping and subjective reasons to allow an employer deny a remote working request are not proportionate".

She added: "This is exacerbated by the fact the appeal mechanism outlined in the draft heads of Bill is far too weak.

"This appears to be a case of Fine Gael of pulling a fast one, where the Tánaiste wants to appear as if he is providing an additional workers' right but making that right almost impossible for a worker to access."

Labour Spokesperson on Employment Affairs, Senator Marie Sherlock, said the Government was being "extremely timid and short sighted in what they are proposing".

She told RTÉ's Drivetime that the "odds are completely stacked in favour of the employer".

"I am horrified by what I see this evening that there is not even a right to appeal the grounds upon which a request can be refused," Ms Sherlock added.

Social Democrats Enterprise Spokesperson Catherine Murphy said the new Bill was "an employers' charter which only serves to undermine the right to work from home".

She stated: "For instance, a request to work from home can be refused if an employer feels there is a "potential negative impact" on quality of work or performance - not an actual or verified negative impact.

"These refusal grounds are so all encompassing, they make a mockery of the stated purpose of the legislation."
Remote hubs encouraged for employees
Meanwhile, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has urged employers to consider remote hubs for their employees.

Hubs offer a good solution for people who do not want to work from their kitchen or bedroom, but would prefer to continue remote working, she said.

There are 177 hubs already using the ConnectedHubs.ie platform and said she expects this will increase to 400 by the end of the year, she added.

In the Dáil, the Taoiseach said the Government's proposals to facilitate remote working are a "positive, progressive step forward".

Micheál Martin said: "Finland, Luxembourg and Ireland top the EU table, I think, in terms of working from home."

The Labour Party leader had said that, with the Government's proposals, "the power is still with the bosses".

Alan Kelly also said that remote working had led to an increase in the number of women in full time employment.

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Remote working law to require 'good' reason for refusal

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Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said an employee of six months standing will be able to apply for remote working, under a heads of bill passed by Cabinet today. The employer must reply to the request within 12 weeks. If the employer is refusing a request under 13 listed conditions, it must be for a specified and what he termed "good" reason.

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Learning Outcomes:
3.2, 3.5, 3.6

Learning Intentions:

I will learn how individuals, organisations and the government work together to distribute economic resources used to produce goods and services

I will examine the purpose of taxation from a financial, social, legal and ethical perspective

I will examine how economic growth can impact positively and negatively on society and the environment and justify the promotion of sustainable development

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

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Animation - Energy and the European Green Deal

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- Our food is almost exclusively coming packaged from our local grocery store or neighborhood restaurant.

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Learning Outcome:
1.9 Ethics and responsibility of consumption
3.3 Supply and demand

Learning Intentions
1
2
3

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

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Learning Outcome
2.4

Learning Intentions
1
2
3

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?
This stimulus could be used as an introductory to workers rights. Stimulating prior knowledge on the topic

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United for Human Rights: Videos, Worker, Employee & Child Labor Laws, UN Universal Declaration

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Watch video teaching the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including tenets governing worker and employee rights, labor laws, child workers, unions and workplace discrimination. Learn more about humanitarian groups like United For Human Rights protect against abuses and violation…

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Learning Outcomes

2.1 and 2.4

Learning Intentions

I will learn about employee rights.

I will learn about employer's responsibilities.

I will become aware of organisations that can help employees.

Stimulus Material

Article can be used to scaffold the students' learning and give them a tangible example of issues employees face.

Learning Experience

Explore Employee rights & Employer responsibilities from a legal, social, ethical perspective.

Define Discrimination

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Hospitality staff: ‘Everywhere I have seen harassment... it’s all swept under the carpet’

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Behind well-publicised staff shortages lurks a story of poor working conditions

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Learning Outcomes

1.9 and 3.11

Learning Intentions

I will learn about economic and environmental impact of government policy

I will learn how government policy can change consumer behaviour

I will learn on a global scale what other countries are doing in terms of packaging

How to use this stimulus material in your class?
Use above link as well as https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-plastic-packaging-tax-from-april-2022/introduction-of-plastic-packaging-tax-2021 to debate if further measures should be introduced into Ireland with regard to plastic

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In March 2002, the Irish Government introduced a 15 cent levy on plastic shopping bags that were previously provided free of charge to customers at points of sale (Convery et al 2007). This was introduced under 2001 Waste Management Act. The key objective of the levy was to reduce the amount of plastic bag litter. Prior to introduction of the levy, plastic bags constituted 5% of the national litter composition (Litter Monitoring Body, 2003). In 2007 the plastic litter represented <1% of the national litter composition. A report published in 2008 stated that 'the available evidence indicates a significant and broadly sustained decline in plastic bag litter since the levy was introduced' (AP EnvEcon Limited 2008). There was also a dramatic reduction in the per capita usage of plastic bags (from 37 bags per person per year to 22-24) and the generation of revenue for the Environment Fund (circa €110 million from 2002 to 2007).

Facts

Place / Location

Ireland

Commencement Date

March 2002

Type of Initiative

Policy/Regulation Implementation, Economic and Market Based Instruments

Initiated by

Irish Government

Involved Stakeholders

The Department of the Environment, Heritageand Local Government; The Litter Monitoring Body,TOBIN Consulting Engineers; An Taisce (The National Trust)

Funding/Financial Support

No

Success Rate

Very Successful

Case Study prepared by

Tom Doyle, CMRC, University College Cork

Submitted by

Tom Doyle, CMRC, University College Cork

MARLISCO Partner 9

What is at Stake?

In the 1990s there was a clear awareness of the environmental impact of plastic shopping bags. Therefore, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government commissioned a Consultancy Study in 1998. The aim of the study was to identify and assess possible fiscal, regulatory or other measures that might be undertaken to minimise the use of and environmental impact of plastic shopping bags. The study found that 'a levy was the most appropriate and effective means of minimising plastic bag consumption'. Then, in 2002 (March), the government introduced a levy of €0.15 per plastic bag provided to shoppers at the point of sale in retail outlets. The Levy was designed to change consumer behaviour, to give 'pause for thought' & to encourage reusable bags.

What is the Scale of the Problem?

The problem was that there was a clear awareness of the environmental impact of plastic shopping bags. They were very visible in the Irish landscape, especially during the winter months when there are no leaves on the trees and hedgerows.

Project/ Activity Results:

One of the key findings of the plastic bag levy was that there was a considerable fall in the consumption of plastic bags since March 2002. The reduction has been estimated as 90%. Furthermore, results from beach surveys found that there was a reduction in the number of plastic bags found on beaches, from a mean high of 17.7per 500m (2000) to a mean of 5.5 bags per 500m (2002). (Data courtesy of Coastwatch Ireland.)

Success and Fail Factors and Lessons Learned:

Key lesson: the plastic bag levy proved to be an extremely popular tax and was broadly welcomed in Ireland. Although the levy was targeting terrestrial litter (plastic bags in trees), the simple fact that there was a major in the consumption of plastic bags means that there are less plastic bags to enter the marine environment.

Additional Information on Finances:

The total costs of the implementation of the levy were very modest. For example, €1.2 million was spent on one-off costs (purchase of new computer systems and additional resources needed to administer the levy). An additional annual cost in the order of €350,000 goes on administration and a further € 358,000 went on publicity for promoting the plastic bag levy.

Assessment of Project/ Activity Sustainability:

Fully sustainable. For example since the introduction of the levy over €196 million revenue has been collected. Importantly, this money is ring-fenced for an Environmental FUND to support Anti-Litter Initiatives, Environmental Protection Agency R&D, Initiatives undertaken by community groups and others for protection of the environment (e.g. Coastwatch, An Taisce) and to run any additional costs for maintaining the levy.

Available documentation and further information

AP EnvEcon Limited 2008 Report: http://www.environ.ie/en/Legislation/Environment/Waste/WasteManagement/FileDownLoad,21599,en.pdf
http://litter.ie/system_survey_results/index.shtml

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In March 2002, the Irish Government introduced a 15 cent levy on plastic shopping bags that were previously provided free of charge to customers at points of sale (Convery et al 2007). This was introduced under 2001 Waste Management Act. The key objective of the levy was to reduce the amount of plastic bag litter.

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Learning Outcomes:
1 2.1
2 2.5

Learning Intentions
1. I will understand what a social enterprise is.
2. I will identify a social issue.
3. I will see the positive impact that  a social enterprise can have on community in helping to address social issues

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

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What is FoodCloud? Meet founders Iseult and Aoibheann

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Dollar Street - photos as data to kill country stereotypes

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Imagine the world as a street. Everyone lives on Dollar Street. The poorest to the left and the richest on the right. Every else live somewhere in between. Where would you live? Visit Dollar Street and see homes from hundreds of homes from all over the World.

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Learning Outcomes:

2.4

Learning Intentions

Students will learn about the rights and responsibilities of employer & employee.

Students will understand what a trade union is and how it represents employees.

Students will learn how industrial disputes can be solved.

How might you use this stimulus material in class?

Pair activity to introduce topic of workers rights.

Students watch clip.

Answer question quadrant.

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Creating New Products from plastic waste

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Creating New Products from plastic waste

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Learning Outcomes:

1.9, 1.10, 2.2

Learning Intentions:

Students will learn about how corporate institutions can become environmentally sustainable

Students will identify how technological developments assist in sustainability

How to use in class:

Post watching the video engage in a classroom discussion around the benefits to Adidas in terms of financial and environmental sustainability.

Also discuss whether this could give them an advantage over competitors?

Could it be used as their USP?

Finally, for homework/next lesson task the students with researching other businesses that engage in the three  pillars of sustainability and create a poster based on an example of their choice.

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How Adidas Turns Plastic Bottles Into Shoes

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Topical Issue: in the news at the minute- modern day concept which did not exist pre pandemic.

Learning Outcomes:

Learning Intentions:
Students will be able to identify key workers rights.
Students will understand why the Governments sign workers rights in to law.
Students will be able to idenfity the importance of rights for workers.

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

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Cabinet signs off on remote working plans

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Learning Outcomes:
1
2

Learning Intentions
1
2
3

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

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FoodCloud: Transforming Surplus into Opportunity

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Learning outcomes
2.4 and 2.5

Learning Intentions
1
2
3

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

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Social Entrepreneurs Ireland: Food Cloud

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Social Entrepreneurs Ireland: Food Cloud

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Learning Outcomes

1.9, 2.1, 2.2, 3.6, 3.10

Learning Intentions

1. Define Social Enterprise

2. Understand the social and economic impacts of Food Waste

3. Work collaboratively in a group setting on research

Stimulus

Watch a video from one of the listed websites

Break students in to groups then. Each group to research and draft a short report on the Enterprise. Using FoodClouds Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts to find info on a list of headings given by teacher for the Social Enterprise

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"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Explicabo numquam commodi pariatur et, delectus consectetur repudiandae architecto, quae incidunt atque eum error rem facere, molestias labore? At, nemo? Pariatur, cupiditate."

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Aoibheann O'Brien & Iseult Ward,FoodCloud

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"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Explicabo numquam commodi pariatur et, delectus consectetur repudiandae architecto, quae incidunt atque eum error rem facere, molestias labore? At, nemo? Pariatur, cupiditate."

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Learning outcomes:
1.9, 3.1

Learning intentions

1. 1I will be able to identify the impact of my individual consumer choices on global energy resources

2. I will compare renewable and non renewable energy sources

3. I will identify what it means to become a sustainable consumer

How I might use the stimulus in class:

Track their own shopping habits for one day and identify where those items came from and if a local option could be found in their community.

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Sustainability: told as a Children's Fairy Tale with Beautiful Montage (HD)

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Learning Outcomes

1.1 1.7  1.9

https://youtu.be/bI1vlX7OdLM

Learning Intentions

Defining responsible consumption

Listing the Social, Environmental and Economic consequences of Fast Fashion.

List possible solutions to these problems

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

Play videos

Pair work to identify consequences under 3 pillars

Think, Pair , Share Possible Solutions

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Learning Outcomes
2.11 Assess the importance of planning an organisation’s cash flow, propose suitable sources of finance to manage expenditure and prepare a budget
2.12 Prepare a cash account to monitor income received and payments made by an organisation, evaluate its financial position and recommend a course of action; post figures to relevant ledgers and extract a trial balance
3.3 Evaluate how changes in the supply and demand of goods and services in different markets can affect prices
3.7 Debate the implications of globalisation of trade, including the benefits and challenges of international trade

Learning Intentions
Students should aim to understand how financial planning can effect the price of production. Including “packaging”. Creating a plan should also set out the businesses beliefs regarding recycling and its carbon footprint which is important when discussing packaging.

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

Link https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/business/farming/paper-straws-represent-important-step-for-avonmores-future-40961465.html
Avonmore introduce paper straws

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Paper straws represent important step for Avonmore’s future

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Avonmore has made the switch to paper straws on its milk supplies for over 240 schools nation-wide which will see a huge reduction of 2.7 tonnes of plastic use per annum.

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Learning Outcomes
2.4

Learning Intentions
1
2
3

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?

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‘I’ve sacked people for sitting down’: Undercover inside JD Sports

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How Ben & Jerry's is fighting climate change

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How Ben & Jerry's is fighting climate change

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Learning Outcomes

2.5, 3.1,3.2, 3.10

Learning Intentions

I will learn how organisations work to distribute resources to produce goods and services

I will learn how scare resources result in choices being made

I will be able to make informed decisions on sustainable development

Stimulus

Get students to read the article and discuss how the company is promoting sustainable development

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February 24, 2015

Over the years, Ben & Jerry's has worked hard to reduce the environmental footprint of our company. In 2002, we began offsetting the carbon footprint from of manufacturing facilities with our Vermont-based partner, NativeEnergy. In 2007, we ran our first global warming advocacy campaign in partnership with the Dave Matthews Band. We've invested early and often in efficiencies throughout our manufacturing facilities, supply chain and Scoop Shops to increase energy efficiency and reduce our carbon footprint.

We recently completed an updated Life Cycle Analysis of our products that reveal the carbon emissions at each stage of our ice cream's "life cycle"-from the farm to the end of life of the pint container. We've used the results to create a clear road map towards to reducing the footprint of our company, pint for pint.

We are also playing a significant role in supporting our parent company's Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP). The USLP is part of Unilever's goal to become the global leader of the clean energy economy. It's a blueprint for sustainable growth that aims to double the size of Unilever's business while reducing its environmental footprint and increasing its positive social impact.

Unilever already purchases 100% of its electricity from renewable sources for all of its U.S. sites through renewable energy certificates (RECs), which are credits for using energy from third-party renewable sources. Unilever is taking its commitment to clean energy to the next level by pledging to go 100% clean energy globally by 2020 through a mix of 50% onsite and 50% offsite generation.

Here are five additional things Ben & Jerry's is doing to combat climate change:

The Chunkinator

Located at our factory in the Netherlands, the Chunkinator is a magical machine (aka an anaerobic flotation reactor) that turns our ice cream bi-products into energy. The guts of this bio-digesting tank consist of 24 billion natural micro-organisms that transform waste and wastewater into biogas that turns around and powers the factory. To date, the Chunkinator has produced enough power to make over 16 million pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream!

Manure Separators

Believe it or not, cows play a part in climate change. The gas they spew from both ends, along with manure, releases a significant amount of ozone-depleting methane gas. Through a joint project with Green Dream Farm in Enosburg Falls, Vermont, and NativeEnergy, we have implemented a system that significantly reduces the amount of methane that enters the atmosphere. Over the course of 10 years, the project is estimated to have the equivalent of keeping 5,000 cars off the road for one year. It's a pilot program we hope to implement at other Ben & Jerry's Caring Dairy farms worldwide.

Offsetting in Reforestation

We care deeply about our suppliers, farmers, their families, their land and how our ingredients impact their lives. In addition to our continued work with Catholic Relief Services and the Sustainable Food Lab, we recently partnered with Pur Projet to explore agroforestry opportunities for our vanilla supplier. The project will work with the cooperative farmers to re-establish native trees to reduce erosion, provide necessary shade for their vanilla crop and offer opportunities for diversified agricultural projects.

Cleaner, Greener Freezer

Conventional refrigeration relies on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)-one of the most common and harmful greenhouse gases. Ben & Jerry's has led the charge away from HFCs by becoming the first company in the U.S. to test hydrocarbon refrigerants (which have already been used widely in Europe). It began in 2008 when we teamed up with Greenpeace to launch the Cleaner, Greener Freezer. Not only do these Ben & Jerry's freezers chill ice cream using earth-happy hydrocarbons, they're also more energy efficient than their HFC counterparts. It's a win-win!

Activism & Advocacy

Ben & Jerry's was built on a social mission and has advocated for a variety of causes, from marriage equality to GMO labeling to protecting the environment. Whether it's joining the People's Climate March last September or encouraging our fans in more than 35 countries to push leaders for real and urgent action on climate change, we've been fortunate to be surrounded by such a passionate bunch.

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How Ben & Jerry's is Fighting Climate Change

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February 24, 2015 Over the years, Ben & Jerry's has worked hard to reduce the environmental footprint of our company. In 2002, we began offsetting the carbon footprint from of manufacturing facilities with our Vermont-based partner, NativeEnergy. In 2007, we ran our first global warming advocacy campaign in partnership with the Dave Matthews Band.

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Learning Outcomes

2.4

Learning Intentions

I will learn about employee rights

I will learn about employers responsibilities

Advantages and disadvantages of working from home

Financial benefits of remote working

Social advantages/diadvantages

Environmental advantages/disadvantages

How might you use this stimulus material in class?

Read through article and make a list of social environmental and economic impact of working from home

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Remote working: Bill will require employers to have written policy on working from home

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Workers will be able to appeal if a request for remote working is refused by an employer

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David Attenborough's opening speech at COP  26

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David Attenborough's opening speech at COP  26

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Learning Outcomes

1.1  1.9

Learning Intentions

I will learn about my responsibilities as a consumer

I will think about what I bought at Christmas and the impact it might have on the environment not only for now but for future generations

I will reflect on my needs and wants for  purchases I made

I will learn about how I can make a difference in my shopping

Learning Experience

Tracker and diary of purchases.  Reflect.

How you might use this stimulus material in class

This speech is powerful and grabs the attention of students making them  reflect on shopping habits and our responsibilities as  consumers. It  makes students realise they are stewards of the planet and choices they make can have a powerful effect.

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Watch Sir David Attenborough's full COP26 speech

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Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk-xqPKOxl4

Learning Outcomes

2.1, 2.4 & 2.5

Learning Intentions
I will learn about the characteristics of the ethical consumer and the ethical good

I will analyse how different businesses interact with the 3 pillars of sustainability

How might you use this stimulus material in class?

Students will watch the Nordic Hotel video and & discuss their commitment to sustainable development. They will then watch the Foxconn video and evaluate the differences between the interaction of both companies with the 3 pillars & what should change

Support resources: question quadrant or worksheet to help focus student's thoughts

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The Three Bottom Lines: People, Planet, Profit. We Care.

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Learning Outcomes:
1.9 Debate the ethical and sustainability issues that arise from their consumption of goods and services and evaluate how they can contribute to sustainable development through consumer behaviour
3.7 Debate the implications of globalisation of trade, including the benefits and challenges of international trade

Learning Intentions:

I will learn how much Ireland as an open economy relies on other countries for goods.

I will appreciate the benefits and challenges of globalisation.

I will reflect on how food miles is linked to my carbon footprint.

Using stimulus material in class:

A homework activity for students is to investigate where some food items in the kitchen at home have come from e.g. strawberries from Spain.

In class we will use the Food Miles calculator to calculate the distance the food has travelled.

We will have a class discussion on how we could reduce our food miles. What substitutes are available etc...

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Learning Outcomes:

2.8- Devise and apply a marketing mix in order to promote a new or existing product or service

3.3-  Evaluate how changes in the supply and demand of goods and services in different markets can affect prices

Learning Intentions:

Create a new or existing product/ service or expand an existing one to ensure the production process and product packaging is more sustainable

Outline how you would advertise this product in a more sustainable way

Understand how planning and consumer choices can affect the price of the product/service.

How to use the Stimulus Material:

Worksheet with questions from video to introduce topic and leads to class discussion

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Can we turn the tide of plastic packaging? | Rethink Sustainability

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Learning Outcomes

2.4

Learning Intentions

1. Explain the rights and responsibilities of employers

2. Explain the rights and responsibilities of the employee

3. Define the term Industrial relations

4. Outline why an employee would join a trade union

5. Explain the difference types of Industrial Action

6. List and explain the laws that protect employees

Select Stimulus Material

1. Video on the website - LO 2.4 - Right and Responsibilities (weebly.com) (Need to be updated on reflection JCT cluster day)

2. Past newspaper articles - Current and up to date (Wakelet)

3. Match the rights and responsibilities of an employee and employer

Outline how you might use the above stimulus material in your class

1. Flipped Classroom - Students watch the videos the night before (Pre-teaching)

2. Newspaper article - Discussion the next day - (Try to link to videos)

3. See if students can match the correct  right and responsibilities for an employee or employer

Other resources
LO 2.4 - Right and Responsibilities (weebly.com)
LO 2.4 - One Page Summary (weebly.com)
LO 2.4 - Business Postcard (weebly.com)

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By the end of this section you should be able to do the following
1. Explain the rights and responsibilities of employers
2. Explain the rights and responsibilities of the employee
3. Define the term Industrial relations
4. Outline why an employee would join a trade union
5. Explain the different types of Industrial Action
6. List and explain the laws that protect employees

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By the end of this section you should be able to do the following 1. Explain the rights and responsibilities of employers 2. Explain the rights and responsibilities of the employee 3. Define the term...

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Learning Outcome:
3.1 + 3.6

Learning Intentions

I will learn about the choices that people in LDC's have to make with regards to education

I will understand and appreciate the importance of education to the economic growth of a country.

I will understand the negative affects of economic growth in developing countries.

Stimulus
Students will look at the video and then they will be split up into groups with a number of questions to discuss. E.g.

Why do children in these countries not have access to education.

What choices do their parents have to make

How would improvements in education help improve economic growth.

What might the negatives of economic be in these countries.

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Just how big a problem is lack of access to education?

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Ireland and other parts of northwestern Europe will bear the brunt of increasingly severe flooding caused by climate change, according to a new Europe-wide study.

This found the impact of flooding in Europe had increased over the past 50 years – and that this can be directly attributed to global warming.

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LO's
2.5
1.9

LI's
I will be able to;-

Explain what is meant by 'ethical behavior' and 'sustainability.'

Explain how a business involved in food production can behave in an ethical and sustainable way.

Appreciate how my choices as a consumer help sustainable development.

Stimulus Material
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9g6Z0FYTn8

How to use stimulus material
Students will work in pairs and answer questions on a worksheet based on video.

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Follow Starbucks 15 Year Journey to 100% Ethically Sourced Coffee with Conservation International

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Learning Outcomes

2.4 Distinguish between the rights and responsibilities of employer and employee from a legal, social, environmental and ethical perspective.

1.11 Interpret a wage slip and calculate personal tax liability arising from employment

Learning Intentions

Distinguish between an employee and an employer and their rights and responsibilities

Calculate basic pay using time rate, piece rate and commission

Complete a wage slip from given information

How might you use this stimulus material in class?

This video provides a great introduction for under 18 workers rights.

Support resources: question quadrant.

Complete a wage slip from given information.

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A seemingly obvious statement which deserves more in-depth exploring. It is understood that car emissions are one of the predominant causes of greenhouse gases. Last year, The Times newspaper reported that transport is responsible for 26% of greenhouse pollution.
It has been calculated that completing five trips of 2km a week on foot instead of a car can decrease the amount of emissions by 86kg a year.
Not only does walking improve the immediate effects by limiting pollution from car emissions, it can also contribute to the reduction of future expenditures. For example, over time, pollution causes damage to its surroundings, including both buildings and nature. By reducing the amount of carbon dioxide produced, less work and money will be needed to fix the impairment. Consequently, this money could go into other local requirements instead.

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Learning outcomes:

1.9 and 3.6

Learning intentions:

Understand the importance of using eco-friendly packaging

How might you use this stimulus material in your class?