Maximising impact with policymakers, for the Institute of International and European Affairs

Greenprint for a nationwide retrofit: transforming the energy efficiency of 1.2 million Irish homes

Brief

In late 2009 Bulletin Academic was approached by the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), a policy research think-tank based in Dublin, to publicise its ‘greenprint’ for a plan to make comprehensive energy improvements to 1.2 million older homes. The IIEA suggested government investment of €14.5 billion would create tens of thousands of jobs in the hard-hit construction sector, address the challenges of energy security and climate change and create warmer, greener homes with drastically reduced energy bills. The ‘greenprint’ argued the plan could be achieved at little or no expense to the exchequer, since householders would gradually pay back the cost of the changes through their energy bills.

Strategy

Bulletin Academic took the IIEA’s 83-page report and condensed it into a four-page policy briefing containing key information for policymakers and Irish MPs. This was circulated to every politician in the Irish parliament, including the Prime Minister and cabinet members, and on the same day we released a press briefing and sent a Bulletin Academic representative to Dublin to support the IIEA in dealing with the media.

Impact

The report earned coverage in every major national newspaper in Ireland and theauthor was also interviewed on both radio and television. Amid this intense mediainterest, the policy briefing enjoyed a high profile in parliament, leading to a largetake-up of the full report. The Irish Labour Party – now part of the coalitiongovernment – was particularly interested and ultimately used the ‘greenprint’ as a basis for much of its policy paper on energy.