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Figure 13.1
Seven Key Environmental Actions for Ireland on the State of the Environment in 2016
SYSTEMIC
MESSAGES
Environment and
Health & Wellbeing
Climate
Change
Accelerate mitigation actions to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and implement adaptation
measures to increase our
resilience in dealing with adverse
climate impacts.
Recognition of the benefits of a
good quality environment to
health and wellbeing.
Implement measures that achieve ongoing
improvements in the environmental status of water
bodies from source to the sea.
Integrate resource efficiency and environmental
sustainability ideas and performance accounting
across all economic sectors.
Inform, engage and support communities in the
protection and improvement of the environment.
Protect pristine and wild places that act as
biodiversity hubs, contribute to health and wellbeing
and provide sustainable tourism opportunities.
Improve the tracking of plans and
policies and the implementation
and enforcement of
environmental legislation to
protect the environment.
Implementation
of Legislation
TOPIC
MESSAGES
Restore & Protect Water Quality
Sustainable Economic Activities
Nature & Wild Places
Community Engagement
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Chapter 13: Environmental Challenges and Emerging Issues for Ireland
Key Action 1:
Environment and
Health and Wellbeing
Recognition of the Benefits of a Good
Quality Environment to Health and
Wellbeing
Environment and Health –
Inextricably Linked
We need to remind ourselves that our health
and wellbeing are supported by a clean and
well‑protected environment.
A clean and well-protected environment is a key building
block to a healthy Ireland. Clean air and water are not
luxury items but basic needs, and should be treated as
valuable assets that need to be protected to benefit our
health and also the wider economy. The state of the
environment can influence our health in positive terms
(e.g. amenity) but also in negative terms, because of the
risks to health posed by pollution. As evidenced in this
report, Ireland’s environment is generally good, and it can
be concluded that on the whole Ireland does present a
clean, safe environment to live in. The availability of green
spaces (parks, woods, countryside) and blue spaces (ponds,
river banks, lakeshores and seashores), along with clean,
fresh air and breathtaking landscapes, provides an enviable
resource which should be valued and enjoyed. In addition
to the beneficial effects of being active in these spaces,
scientists have also linked exposure to nature to benefits in
coping with mental stress and fatigue.
From an environmental perspective, definitions of
pollution include the terms “harmful to human health”
Key Actions for Ireland in 2016
Following on from the information and evidence presented in earlier chapters, this section of the report highlights
seven key environmental actions for Ireland. While the actions are listed as individual items, many are linked and the
integration of actions across these areas will be important for the delivery of environmental protection and sustainable
development. Many of these actions can also be linked to the Sustainable Development Goals from the UN.