The Irish Green Building Council (IGBC)
Leadership for Sustainability and Quality in the Built Environment
Highlights
Our Impact Through the Years
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2025
We launched the “Building a Circular Ireland Roadmap”, developed tools for designers and SMEs to support decarbonisation and renovation, contributed to the National Building Renovation Plan, and shared recommendations to tackle vacancy and dereliction. Plus, we moved to a new office! -
2024
We launched the National Upskilling Roadmap for Sustainability in the Built Environment and hosted an information session on the EPBD Recast. We tracked progress on integrating our Decarbonisation Roadmap into Irish policy and legislation and conducted research on energy poverty. Finally, we published our Political Manifesto ahead of the general election. -
2023
We developed a national carbon emissions methodology, launched a Community of Practice on biodiversity and the built environment, and published the Healthy Homes Report. IGBC CEO Pat Barry was elected Chair of the WorldGBC European Regional Network. We also published our first tender in partnership with CO2 Performance Ladder. -
2022
We launched the “Building a Zero Carbon Ireland Roadmap”, introduced Construct Innovate, and released Home Performance Index 3.0, our certification for sustainable, high-quality homes. We also piloted Construction Materials Exchange, a marketplace for reusing materials in construction.
Our Objectives
Building Better, Building Greener
The Irish Green Building Council aims to:
- Provide a source of leadership for sustainability and quality in the built environment
- Promote and assist in the provision of tools and metrics for measuring progress towards the end goal of sustainability
- Provide a source of resources to companies transitioning their activities towards more sustainable practices
- Be central to the alignment of the policies of organisations seeking to achieve sustainability in the built environment
Activities
How is IGBC leading the way?
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Faster decarbonisation of buildings will increase resilience to energy price shocks
Progress has been made on policies to decarbonise our built environment in recent years but the government must… -
Building a Zero Carbon Ireland: 2026 Government Policy Scorecard
In 2022, the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) published Building a Zero Carbon Ireland – A Roadmap to decarbonise Ireland’s built environment across its whole life cycle. The roadmap is […] -
Roadstone – Becoming the First Company in Ireland to Achieve Level 5 on the CO2 Performance Ladder
Introduction Roadstone Ltd, one of Ireland’s leading supplier of construction materials, has become the first company in Ireland… -
New research points way toward vibrant, nature-rich neighbourhoods
New research points way toward vibrant, nature-rich neighbourhoods Dublin, 11 May 2026: Better alignment between government policies and… -
Recommendations for the Enhancement of Biodiversity in New Residential Developments – Summary
Two Pager version of BIO-NEIGHBOUR final report -
Recommendations for the Enhancement of Biodiversity in New Residential Developments
BIO-NEIGHBOUR final report -
Building for Biodiversity: IGBC and Local Authorities Join Forces
Local authorities, environmental experts, and construction professionals convened on the 14th April in Portlaoise for a landmark workshop… -
Wrapping Up Ireland’s CO2 Performance Ladder Pilot Project – A Major Milestone in Green Public Procurement
Ireland’s two-year pilot of the CO2 Performance Ladder (2023-2025), led by the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) in…
The Board
Guiding Ireland’s Green Building Future
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Ali Grehan
Ali Grehan is a former Dublin City Architect and Senior Management team member of Dublin City Council, where she led urban design initiatives spanning housing, public realm, and cultural infrastructure. Her career includes private practice in Dublin, London, and Bilbao, and public sector work focused on large-scale urban regeneration – notably as Chief Architect with Ballymun Regeneration Ltd and with the RPA delivering Dublin’s first LUAS Light Rail system. -
Alan Cawley
Alan Cawley is Senior Sustainability Manager at John Sisk & Son, providing strategic leadership on environmental and sustainability matters. He oversees a specialist team covering environmental governance, regulatory compliance, and sustainability integration across Irish operations, while staying connected to project delivery. His expertise spans ISO-certified management systems, EU and UK environmental regulation, environmental data and reporting, and decarbonisation planning. -
Alison Gilliland
Alison is Executive Director of the Construction Workers Health Trust and Construction Workers Benevolent Fund, bringing a background spanning trade unions, education and training, equality, and local and European politics. Previous leadership roles include Chairperson of Dublin City Council’s Strategic Policy Committee on Housing and Lord Mayor of Dublin City. She is passionate about adaptive reuse of buildings for housing and is a member of the Vacant to Vibrant Building Alliance. -
Angelyn Rowan
Angelyn Rowan is a partner and head of the Projects and Construction Group at Philip Lee LLP, specialising in projects and construction law since 2004. She advises funders, developers, employers, and contractors across major infrastructure, PPP, residential, commercial, healthcare, and renewables projects. Notable work includes advising the NDFA on the €300m+ Social Housing PPP Programme, the €200m+ Grangegorman DIT Campus PPP, and the €140m+ Primary Care Centres PPP. She also supports clients through dispute resolution processes including mediation, adjudication, and arbitration. -
Claire Pomroy
Claire is a chartered engineer and Director at Hines focused on urban regeneration. She previously managed Macquarie Capital’s PPP delivering TU Dublin’s Grangegorman campus, and has led design teams on major international projects including Sydney’s Central Park and Barangaroo — one of the world’s first carbon neutral precincts. While based in Switzerland, she established a European business for a property technology company focused on operational carbon performance. Claire leads ESG for Hines Ireland. -
Emma Gilleece
Emma Gilleece is a Communications Specialist and Building Conservationist with over fifteen years’ experience across the private, public, and charity sectors, focused on major infrastructure projects and promoting architecture. She sits on the Collections Acquisitions Committee for the Irish Architectural Archive and spent five years on the council for An Taisce. -
John O’Connor
John O’Connor is founder and CEO of Glass Half Full Consulting, specialising in crisis management, public affairs, and communications. A UCD-trained veterinary surgeon with 25 years’ European experience, he has worked across clinical practice, marketing, communications, and sustainability – most recently leading sustainability strategy for AniCura, a network of 500 veterinary hospitals across 17 European countries. He is a former President and director of Veterinary Ireland. -
Krystyna Rawicz
Krystyna is a Chartered Building Surveyor and Project Manager with over 30 years of experience in the built environment. A Fellow of both the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, she also sits on the SCSI Working Group on Sustainability. As Managing Director of KRA Renewables, she leads a consultancy specialising in integrating renewable energy systems into the built environment. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and holds a Professional Certificate in Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge. -
Laura Heuston
Laura is Co-Founder of SustainabilityWorks, a boutique sustainability consulting firm spanning strategy, finance, policy, and communications. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ireland and a Chartered Tax Adviser, she has over 20 years’ experience across industry and practice, including roles at KPMG and Airtricity advising on renewable energy and energy efficiency transactions. She lectures on sustainable finance at UCD Smurfit Graduate School and the Institute of Banking, with specialist expertise in energy efficiency finance, community investment in renewables, and responsible investment. -
Lorraine FitzGerald
Lorraine is Head of Sustainability at Glenveagh Properties, bringing over 20 years’ experience in sustainability, ESG, and stakeholder engagement. With a background in environmental science, she has led sustainability and climate change strategies for corporates, governments, and agencies across Ireland and Scotland. -
Orla Coyle
Orla is a Chartered Engineer and Head of Energy and Sustainability at Savills, with over 20 years’ experience delivering energy efficient and sustainable buildings. She works with clients on ESG strategies and high sustainability standards, and sits on the board of the Irish Green Building Council and the Engineers Ireland Energy, Environment and Climate Action Division. Previously at SEAI, she managed the Project Support Unit for public sector building decarbonisation and led the NZEB and High Performance Retrofit programme. Prior to that, she ran her own engineering consultancy specialising in sustainability. -
Patrice McVeigh
Patrice is an Associate at O’Connor Sutton Cronin M&E Ltd., managing the Sustainability Department and advising clients on green certifications including LEED, BREEAM, WELL, and HPI across commercial, educational, residential, and healthcare projects in Ireland and the UK. A Chartered Environmental Scientist with a Masters in Environmental Engineering and 14 years’ experience, she began her career in contaminated land remediation before moving into sustainable buildings. She is a LEED AP, BREEAM Assessor, and WELL AP, and has delivered some of Ireland’s first LEED Platinum certifications. -
William O’Donnell
William O’Donnell is Associate Director at IN2 Engineering. A Building Services Engineer graduate of DIT Bolton Street (2005), he began his career in mechanical contracting before moving into consultancy in 2007, where he specialised in Environmental and Sustainable Design. He holds Charterships with Engineers Ireland (2011) and CIBSE (2012) and is a BREEAM International Assessor. -
Patrick Atkinson
Patrick Atkinson is Chief Executive of Grafton Group’s distribution business on the island of Ireland, encompassing the Chadwicks and MacNaughton Blair groups across 80+ locations with over 2,000 colleagues. He joined Grafton in 2015 as COO before taking his current role in 2017, and has over 30 years’ experience in building materials – including eight years as Global Marketing Manager for Saint-Gobain in Paris, and earlier roles at Gypsum Industries and Wavin. He is a Chartered Director, an Ordinary Board Member of SOLAS and a member of the World Skills Council.
The Team
Your Dedicated Team of Experts
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Pat Barry
Pat Barry is Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Green Building Council which he co-founded in 2011. He’s currently Chair of the European Regional Network of the World Green Building Council. He is an Architect with over 20 years of experience in Ireland, Europe and South America, a Master’s in Environmental design of buildings from the University of Cardiff and is a qualified Passive House and DGNB consultant. -
Marion Jammet
Marion leads IGBC’s policy and advocacy work, developing position papers, engaging on consultations and draft legislation, and representing IGBC on the WorldGBC Europe Policy Task Force and Renovate Europe Committee. With a background in policy, stakeholder engagement and project management, Marion has worked on energy renovation projects across Europe. She previously held roles at Dublin Chamber, Eurochambres and the European Parliament. Marion holds an MA in European Affairs from Sciences-Po and an MSc in Environmental Sustainability from UCD. -
Sinéad Hughes
Sinéad is an RIAI Registered Architect and Grade III Conservation Architect with over 26 years of industry experience. She sits on the RIAI Council, chairs the RIAI EDI Taskforce, and represents Ireland on the Architects Council of Europe Women in Architecture Taskforce. At IGBC, Sinéad has contributed to key projects including Commercial Retrofit, Building Renovation Passports, Building a Circular Ireland, and the National Upskilling Roadmap 2030. -
Ellen McElligott
Ellen joined IGBC in September 2024, leading membership growth and retention strategy. Previously a Senior Advisor at the US Department of Labor, she specialised in policy implementation and stakeholder engagement aligned with White House priorities. With over a decade in non-profit fundraising, Ellen brings deep expertise in donor relations, partnership strategy, and building lasting organisational relationships. Ellen holds a graduate degree in Public Administration with a focus on NGO management. -
John Fingleton
John joined IGBC in 2019 to manage the Home Performance Index (HPI) Certification. An architect with experience across Ireland, England, Spain and the US, he holds a Masters in Low Energy Building Design and previously worked in the sustainability team at Ethos Engineering. At IGBC, John leads the delivery of the national and European projects, the HPI certification programme and our work on climate adaptation. John is a LEED Accredited Professional in ID+C and BD+C. -
Irene Rondini
Irene joined IGBC in 2019, leading communications and dissemination across national and EU projects. Irene currently supports IGBC’s growing work on Biodiversity & the Built Environment and administered EPD Ireland programme from 2019 to 2024. With an MSc in Environmental Science and a Certificate in Digital Marketing, Irene brings a rare mix of technical and creative expertise, with previous experience as an EHS Officer and Web Specialist in the construction sector. -
Brian Crowley
Brian joined IGBC in 2022 working on the Home Performance Index (HPI) Certification and co-leads IGBC’s research on EU Taxonomy. An architectural graduate of UCD with a further Masters in Environmental Policy, Brian brings a strong academic foundation combined with hands-on experience supporting rural communities in developing local regeneration plans. -
Fernanda Rocha
Fernanda joined IGBC in 2024 working on the Home Performance Index (HPI) Certification. A civil engineer with an MSc from the Technical University of Munich, she specialised in Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Sustainable Transport Planning. Previously a Sustainability Consultant and Project Manager in Amsterdam, Fernanda brings expertise in embodied carbon reduction, life cycle assessment and circular economy in the built environment. Fernanda administrate the EPD Ireland programme and lead circularity projects. -
Marianne Ibrahim
Marianne joined IGBC in 2024 leading the CO2 Performance Ladder pilot in Ireland. A civil engineer by background, Marianne is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP)® and Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®, with over 8 years’ experience as a project management instructor. She brings broad volunteering experience with NGOs focused on social empowerment and poverty alleviation. -
Joselyn López Pelayo
Joselyn joined IGBC in 2024 contributing to several projects. An architect with an MSc in Architecture, Urbanism and Climate Action from UCD, she previously worked as a researcher and project manager at UCD on projects including PROBONO, HeritACT and RE-CUGI. Her expertise spans adaptive reuse of existing buildings, stakeholder engagement and life cycle assessment of new constructions and site works. -
Gloriana Vargas Castro
Gloriana joined IGBC in 2025. She holds degrees in Architecture and Business Management, along with an MSc in Architecture, Urbanism and Climate Action from UCD. Prior to IGBC, she worked as a research collaborator and project manager focused on adaptive reuse and sustainable urban development tools, and as a sustainability consultant at a global architectural firm, integrating resilience strategies and green certifications into architectural and urban projects. -
Lenny Antonelli
Lenny joined IGBC in 2024 supporting members in reducing whole life carbon in the built environment as part of the Building Life II campaign. With a background in environmental journalism, he previously wrote for Passive House Plus magazine and contributed to newspapers and magazines on environment, nature and science. He holds an undergraduate degree in Marine Science. -
Andre Ricardo Theodoro
André joined IGBC in 2025 leading the development and delivery of IGBC’s educational strategy. With over 10 years in digital education and EdTech, he specialises in LMS platforms, e-learning solutions and hybrid course development. He holds a Master’s in Computer Engineering (Educational Technologies) from FURG and brings extensive leadership experience in digital transformation across educational settings. -
Nessa Feehan
Nessa joined IGBC in 2025 bringing over 20 years of experience across financial services, insurance, legal and administrative sectors. She holds degrees in French & Economics from UCD and Management & Law from Trinity College, along with a Professional Diploma in Financial Advice (QFA). Known for building strong relationships and fostering collaborative teams, Nessa brings both operational expertise and a genuine commitment to sustainability and inclusive leadership. -
Lee Flood
Lee joined the IGBC after spending 5 years in Australia, where he worked for a large not-for-profit organisation and a global company in the corporate events industry. He is currently studying to become a fully qualified accountant -
Jubey Thekkekara
Jubey joined IGBC in 2025 supporting events and marketing. With over six years of experience in digital marketing, social media and customer engagement, she holds an MSc in Digital Marketing & Channel Management from the University of Surrey. She has worked across diverse industries, with a track record in brand visibility, process improvement and client support. -
Anna Daly
Anna joined IGBC in 2025 supporting advocacy campaigns for a more sustainable built environment, with a particular focus on Building Life II. She holds a BSc in Applied Social Science from the University of Galway and an MSc in Comparative Social Change from Trinity College Dublin and UCD, where her research explored the role of Irish local authorities in community-level climate action. -
Sally Carpenter
Sally joined IGBC in October 2025 contributing to certification projects including the Home Performance Index and the CO2 Performance Ladder. She holds an MSc in Smart and Sustainable Cities from Trinity College Dublin, where her dissertation explored housing and communal space in Dublin’s Liberties, and a BA in Psychology from Boston College with a minor in Environmental Studies. -
Michael K. Hayes
Michael is an architect and PhD candidate at UCD’s School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, researching how different forms of urban expansion impact the operational energy use of towns and cities. His PhD is jointly funded by IGBC and Research Ireland through the Enterprise Partnership Scheme (Project ID: ESPG/2024/882).
International
Our Involvement Across the Globe
World Green Building Council
The Irish Green Building Council is part of The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), the largest global network of national green building councils, spanning 75+ countries. We support WorldGBC initiatives such as Advancing Net Zero and Better Places for People, and contributes to its global policy task force.
Europe Regional Network
We are also part of the European Regional Network (ERN) of World Green Building Council, a collaboration of 30+ national councils and 3,500 member companies. Pat Barry, IGBC CEO, currently chairs the ERN and participates in key policy groups and campaigns.
