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Ireland’s Environment – An Assessment 2016
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Table 13.2
Summary Report on Progress with the Four Key Challenges Listed in the State of the
Environment Report 2012 (Source: EPA)
Four key challenges listed
in Ireland’s Environment:
An Assessment 2012
Indicative summary on progress against these challenges based on
information in this report (further details are included in the key
messages section)
1. Valuing and protecting our
natural environment
Economic value of eco-system services is a concept that has a higher profile
but it is not on a routine basis integrated into business decisions and
policy making. The habitats of most pressing concern are those that have
reduced range and/or area, notably raised bogs and species-rich grasslands.
Species most under threat include those linked to wetlands or uplands or
sensitive to water pollution. Ireland has a similar challenge to Europe in
halting biodiversity loss. There are also important air quality challenges to
be addressed in the forthcoming air quality strategy and significant water
pollution risks from urban waste water and agriculture that remain a
challenge to resolve in order to meet the public and environmental health
requirements for good water quality.
2. Building a resource-efficient,
low‑carbon economy
Ireland has significant work to do to transition to a low-carbon economy.
Fossil fuels dominate our energy system and need to be phased out over
the coming decades and our national GHG emissions are projected to
increase. There has been a substantial increase in awareness of the value of
resource efficiency and green growth to economic performance, reputation,
and image, at business and national levels: nevertheless there remains an
appreciable gap between awareness and implementation. Energy efficiency
is more advanced than water, waste or raw materials efficiency measures.
In relation to displayed behaviours, Ireland still has a long way to go to
close the gap on sustainable consumption. An integrated national resource
efficiency strategy is not in place. Green Public Procurement can assist
addressing this challenge but remains a largely unimplemented policy device.
3. Implementing environmental
legislation
Despite progress in several areas, including waste recycling and emissions
from industrial facilities, Ireland still faces challenges in implementing a
number of regulations and directives that are designed to protect our
environment and, by extension, our health. There is poor adherence, at
individual and household levels, to regulations dealing with matters such
as litter, waste prevention, water use, smoky coal use, and septic tank
management, that impact on our health and environmental quality.
4. Putting the environment at the
centre of decision making
Information sources, such as websites with information for the public,
data and map layers, have improved but it is more difficult to translate
information into action on the ground that results in changes in behaviour.
Good progress on Strategic Environmental Assessment of national plans
and programmes. Growing awareness of sustainable behaviours through
programmes such as Stop Food Waste.