Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What do these icons mean ?

 

  • How do my pledges help Croke Park?

  • The GAA and Electric Ireland are working together to make Croke Park carbon neutral ensuring a cleaner, greener stadium for future generations to enjoy. But we can't do it without you. Our partnership with CRed means that GAA supporters can make pledges on this website, committing to energy saving activities and these are counted against the Croke Park carbon saving target. Pledges include switching off lights not being used, taking the train to Croke Park instead of driving and not overfilling the kettle.

 

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  • You are asking supporters to make pledges to save energy by changing their behaviour... what changes are the Electric Ireland and GAA making?

  • We need you to make pledges to ensure that the GAA meets its target to make Croke Park carbon neutral. Working together Electric Ireland and the GAA will be establishing a state of the art environmental-improvement programme covering the stadium's electricity, waste and water management systems. Croke Park will immediately contract its electricity supply from a renewable source and Electric Ireland have provided expertise in environmental management as a specialist from the company joins the Croke Park team for the next 12 months to achieve internationally-recognised best-practice environmental standards at the stadium.

    It will take consistent effort from Electric Ireland, the GAA and fans to make this work but it together we can make a meaningful difference.

 

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  • What is ISO 14001 Certification?

  • ISO14001 certification is a key objective of the Cúl Green initiative. Croke Park achieved a major milestone in the Cúl Green Initiative on May 14th by gaining ISO14001 certification for the Environmental Management System (EMS) at the Stadium. The certification was granted following an independent external EMS audit by SGS Ireland Ltd.

    The Environmental Management System includes a cyclical process within which Croke Park sets annual objectives and targets related to energy efficiency, waste management, water conservation and other environmentally significant aspects of the operations at the Stadium. The first cycle of the EMS included the successful installation of the energy monitoring system and several objectives and targets related to waste management. The current objectives and targets include the installation of the building management system, further waste management related targets and the installation of water conservation equipment. The EMS will assist Croke Park in achieving continual improvement in environmental management and performance.

    The International Standards Organisation, ISO, is made up of representatives from 159 countries and publishes best practice standards for industry and organisations throughout the world. The ISO has published over 17,500 Standards on various technical and management issues, one of which is ISO14001, the Standard for Environmental Management. This Standard details the steps required for effective management of environmental issues and the continual improvement of environmental performance.

 

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  • How can I get to Croke Park in a more carbon efficient way?

  • A significant part of Croke Park's carbon footprint involves fans travelling to games. This can be minimised if people leave their car at home and take public transport. To make this easier Croke Park have created a comprehensive public transport guide and map, to view it click here (PDF ~1 MB).

 

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  • What are carbon emissions?

  • When fossil fuels (coal, oil or gas) are used for manufacturing, or for transport or for generation of heat, light and power emissions of various gases occurs. Carbon dioxide is one of these gases, which also contributes to global warming and climate change.

 

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  • What does "Carbon Neutral" mean in relation to Croke Park stadium?

  • "Carbon Neutral" means that we aim to offset the carbon emissions of Croke Park stadium by asking GAA Supporters to reduce the carbon they themselves produce at home and in their everyday travel. Success factors are applied to these individual carbon savings by our accreditation partner (CRed) and our goal is to achieve carbon savings of 4,500 tonnes (equating to the carbon footprint for Croke Park direct stadium activities in 2007) before the final of the GAA Championships in 2009.

 

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  • What is meant by "climate change"?

  • The blanket of gases that keeps the surface of the earth warm and able to sustain life is getting thicker, trapping in more heat. This is caused by the release of greenhouse gases as we burn fossil fuels for energy and cut down the forests which absorb carbon dioxide.

    Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas, which causes climate change. Every tonne emitted into the atmosphere leads to more warming. We can do something about it – every tonne of emissions avoided reduces the threat of climate change.

 

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  • I can't make a difference on my own, can I?

  • Sometimes it feels like an almost impossible task and this can cause people to feel powerless in the face of climate change. However if we all take responsibility and play our part it will create a very powerful force of change. Any other reaction will result in widespread inactivity and further increase the rate of global warming.

    Concrete actions are necessary at all levels – from Governments and businesses to individuals – to reduce emissions and limit climate change.

     

    Governments can:
    • Sign up for, and lead, international agreements to ensure global reductions in emissions.
    • Introduce legislation to improve energy- and fuel-efficiency standards.
    • Encourage renewable energy sources and consumption.
    • Make sure climate change is included in education plans.
    • Protect wildlife and the forests which store carbon.
    Businesses can:
    • Develop new technologies for energy efficiency, renewable energy production, and carbon sequestration
    • Commit to reduce emissions within their operation
    • Increase energy- and fuel efficiency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
    • Take part in carbon trading to bring reductions across industry
    Individuals can:
    • Drive less and use fuel efficient vehicles
    • Use less electricity, and sign up to 'green' electricity tariffs
    • Keep homes insulated
    • Buy energy efficient equipment
    • Purchase local food and goods
    • Find out more about the issue, and educate others
    • Raise concerns about climate change with politicians

 

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  • What is CRed and what is their role in Cúl Green?

  • The Carbon Reduction (CRed) Programme was set up in 2003 by the University of East Anglia's environmental scientists. Its purpose is to support, monitor and evaluate progress towards a lower carbon future. CRed believes that the challenge of climate change requires the participation of everyone. No single organisation or individual will solve this alone. There is also no single technological solution that will meet the challenges ahead. So we need to identify and implement a wide range of options, including many small actions, that when added together deliver the deep cuts in greenhouse gases to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. CRed has established a range of community-based initiatives throughout the UK. It also has a presence in the US, China, Japan and Malaysia.

    CRed provides the pledge carbon savings for Cúl Green. They also supply success factors for each type of pledge to identify how likely each person is to complete each pledge. The use of success factors is important in providing a more accurate picture of the real carbon savings achieved from the pledges made. CRed is also validating the carbon savings made through a series of quarterly evaluations. Asking people that have made pledges how easy or difficult it has been to achieve their aim provides important information about the real extent of carbon savings.

 

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  • Where have pledge carbon values come from?

  • Each pledge is allocated a carbon reduction amount. This is generated from a range of authoritative sources including direct measurement, government and industry best practice guidelines and other relevant sources. CRed reviews and updates these savings on a regular basis to ensure that the carbon reduction attributed to each pledge is realistic.

 

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