The EU has not been selling the message that environmental protection can create jobs, the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Ms Ritt Bjerregaard, said yesterday. "Eco-industry" promises a growth rate of up to 10 per cent, she said.
Speaking after her working meeting with the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, the Commissioner said people, should not be afraid that high environmental standards would pose risks to employment. "If you have such standards, this requires technology, which in turn creates jobs," Ms Bjerregaard told The Irish Times.
While tourism did pose an environmental risk, she was not too concerned about its long term impact, though a balance could not be achieved without a "strong message". An analysis of tourism's impact would form part of Ireland's impending sustainable development plan, Mr Howlin said.