This is the fifth webinar in the Green Tech Skillnet and Skillnet Offshore Wind Academy series that explores different aspects of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process applied to the consenting of Irish renewable energy projects. The webinar will focus on the links between the EIA’s approach to environmental design and mitigation during pre-application / consenting and the realities of delivery of environmental mitigation, management and monitoring during construction.
Grant funding comes from Skillnet Ireland through the Irish National Training fund, and, as a result, is ONLY available to residents of the Republic of Ireland who work as a sole trader, or for a private or semi-state commercial company registered in ROI. Please read our Eligibility Criteria.
The webinar will be presented by Josh Fothergill (Founder & Director at FothergillTC) and Robert Fennelly (Senior Lead Ecologist and Environmental Coordinator – EirGrid). The webinar will cover:
- An overview of the use of how environmental assessment and management tools are anticipated to align across plan-making, project consenting, project construction and operations.
- EIA regulatory expectations and good practice approaches related to mitigation hierarchy and monitoring that seek to influence project design and identifying measures that may need to be conditioned.
- An exploration of environmental management in the delivery (and evolution) of EIA derived environmental consent conditions during construction, drawing on real world project examples.
- Discussion of what EIA practice can learn from the realities of delivery and how improving such a feedback loop can aid project consenting and improve environmental performance.
- Live Q&A on your EIA Questions
Those attending will improve their understanding of:
- EIA’s expectations related to the mitigation hierarchy, influencing design and improving environmental performance.
- The challenges that emerge in construction when delivering EIA mitigation measures / consent conditions and how effective environmental management addresses them.
- The benefits of greater interaction between EIA and environmental delivery professionals to improve project outcomes and timely delivery.
Those interested in how environmental issues are considered in relation to renewable energy projects whether they are already working in the sector / involved in EIA, or interested in starting / rejoining a career linked to the environment and Ireland’s renewable energy goals.
Live Webinar with Q&A, part of Green Tech Skillnet and Skillnet Offshore Wind Academy’s continuing effort to enable greater cross-cutting conversations about EIA and improving the supply of skilled professionals to this and related roles in the sector.
All earlier recordings available from the Green Tech Skillnet website:
- Webinar 1: Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
- Webinar 2: Establishing Proportionate EIA – Scoping and Significance
- Webinar 3: Unpacking the Cumulative Effects Challenge in EIA
- Webinar 4: Appreciating EIA related Case Law and Legislative Change
Future webinars is the series are being planned for autumn 2026 and the first half of 2027. Registrants may also be interested in the slide decks from from EIA & Renewable Energy Conference (5th March 2026, Athlone) The slides can be accessed and downloaded here.
Josh Fothergill
Founder & Director – Fothergill Training & Consulting Ltd
Josh is a leading expert in EIA, and Chaired Ireland’s EIA Conference in both 2025 and 2026.
Highlights from his EIA career include creating the UK’s EIA Quality Mark in 2011, authoring the Proportionate EIA Strategy (2017), leading a series of international reviews of: Digital IA (2021); EIA professional recognition (2019); connecting EIA and the circular economy (2021).
Josh founded Fothergill Training & Consulting in 2017, where he specializes in enhancing the effectiveness of environmental assessment through capacity building, intelligent client roles and advisory reviews in Ireland and the UK.
He has trained over 1500 professionals in EIA across consultancies, consenting authorities, statutory environmental bodies and developers, including successful series with: FuturEnergy Ireland and SSE Renewables.
Robert Fennelly
Senior Lead Ecologist – EirGrid
Robert is EirGrid’s Senior Lead Ecologist and also has experience as Environmental Coordinator across a range of their projects. He is a chartered Ecologist with over 20 years experience in ecological consenting and assessment in consultancy, public sector and academic sectors.
He has undertaken the statutory role within public authority across both Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA).
Robert has authored publications on plant, bird, and mammal ecology, and appropriate assessment. He is a certified Train the Trainer with professional training experience with Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM). He has been a team leader in several companies working in Ireland and UK and has project experience beyond this across both the European and international level.
