We are at a critical juncture in terms of sustainability and climate action, Ali Sheridan

Great interview with Ali Sheridan, who is working to make sustainable living mainstream. Millennial. Mum. Country Sustainability Leader IKEA Ireland. 

What is your background briefly?

I’ve worked in sustainability for over ten years both in Ireland and abroad and have been lucky to have had an opportunity to work across different sectors including NGOs, Public Bodies, private companies and community groups as well as across a range of industries.

Does it seem like a logical background to what you do now?

I suppose I’ve taken quite an intentional path. I started by studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Management which gave me a good basis in terms of technical knowledge. At different points throughout my career I completed two Masters in Sustainability. While it may seem strange to complete two masters with a similar topic, they were completely different in terms of content – which really shows just how fast the sector is moving.

There is no real clear-cut path for sustainability careers in my opinion. Everyone can, and should, incorporate sustainability thinking into their role and it’s becoming increasingly common for people in other fields to upskill in sustainability. If we’re going to tackle climate change, we need everyone, in every type of job, helping us get there.

Great to see the Joint Committee on Climate Change report lay out ambitious climate policy actions for Ireland including a target of net zero economy-wide emissions by 2050. Could this be the change we’ve been waiting for? Read the full report at:https://t.co/murAhfjNUj pic.twitter.com/dwsw3Sa13M

— Ali Sheridan (@AliJSheridan) March 29, 2019

1 min pitch for what you are doing now?

I currently work as Country Sustainability Leader for IKEA Ireland where I’m responsible for leading our People and Planet Strategy and further developing our sustainability ambitions. Our strategy focuses on three key areas:

• Inspiring and enabling our co-workers and customers to live sustainable and healthy lives
• Transforming into a climate positive and circular business
• Becoming a truly inclusive and people-centred company

Outside of work, I am also part of my local Sustainable Energy Community where we are working to drive energy efficiency projects in our town.

Why did you get involved with eco issues?

I’ve always been interested in sustainability and the environment, however I really developed a passion for making a difference throughout college and my early career. During these years, I had a chance to see the huge positive changes that can happen when we start to think about things differently.

While caring for the environment is core to sustainability, it’s equally about innovation, change management and engaging with people. It can be a challenging area to work in however it’s extremely rewarding.

What is a deep retrofit? How much might it cost & how soon would the payback be?

A deep retrofit is when you implement a range of measures throughout a house to make it as energy efficient as possible. This type of retrofit goes beyond one-off measures such as insulation, and instead looks at the entire house and identifies the combination of measures that will really drive up the energy performance of the building.

We completed a deep retrofit on our house last year which originally had a BER rating of D3. As part of the Superhomes Programme, we worked with engineers to identify measures so the house could achieve an A Rating. These included installation of:

• Triple Glazed doors and windows
• A heat pump to replace the oil boiler
• Insulation
• Air Ventilation System
• Solar Panels

The cost of a deep retrofit is higher than a one off measure however there is great funding available, up to 50%, from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Deep retrofit costs can range from €35,000 to €75,000, however this comes down to between €20,000 and €40,000 when you take into account the SEAI grants. The payback period typically ranges from 7-10 years, but as energy prices continue to rise, the payback period decreases.

While the grants were a big deciding factor for us, we were also interested in having lower energy bills, decreasing our carbon impact, as well as having a cosier home and better air quality.

Do we have grounds to be more optimistic about environmental issues now? pros / cons? [How soon might we / Ireland become self-sufficient in terms of our energy consumption / generation?

We are at a critical juncture in terms of sustainability and climate action. On the positive side, we have never seen as much discussion and awareness of climate issues. Younger people and local communities are organising and demanding more action.

However, the trends are still worrying. Global carbon emissions rose to an all-time high in 2018 and we are still falling short of the ambition we need.

In an Irish context, last week we saw the government pledge to generate 70% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Hopefully in the near future we will see the growth of renewable energy production in Ireland, increased incentives for homeowners for self-generation, as well as more supports for the 50 per cent of Ireland’s housing stock with a BER of D or lower that require  deep retrofits.

What top tips would you give to people to have more sustainable lifestyles?

Every action matters. So whether it’s changing your bulbs to LED, taking a shorter shower, using a reusable bottle, it all adds up.

However, equally important, is that we talk to family and friends about climate change. We need a national discussion on climate action. A sustainable future (clean energy, green jobs, better air quality, etc.) can be ours if we act now. While it’s easy to look at sustainability as a cost, the discussion needs to be more about the cost of doing nothing. We need to demand more from our leaders.

How can people find out more about you & your work?

You can connect with me on:

Twitter

LinkedIn

I’m always happy to talk sustainability!

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