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Figure 1.1
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
19
Chapter 1: Introduction
actions should result in improving environmental trends
and provide positive indicators about the quality of our
environment.
On the other hand, there are local community and niche
projects that are leading the way in the transition to a
more sustainable future. These community-led projects
demonstrate that local solutions are one of the ways to
change environmental behaviour and offer new ways
to approach environmental challenges in the future.
This is clearly an area that requires further support and
development as we move forward.
The Environmental Protection Agency Strategy for 2016 to
2020 sets out how to protect and improve the environment
over the next 5 years. It lists key environmental challenges
that will be targeted for improvement, along with a range of
other strategic goals and objectives. Several of the objectives
in the strategy match closely with the main messages in this
report including:
n
tackle the challenges to deliver improved water quality
in Ireland
n
engage with other strategic partners to promote the
development of a holistic national response to climate
change
n
enhance the air and radiation protection framework
in Ireland
n
engage the public in the protection and improvement
of the environment
n
promote a greater awareness of the impact of
environment quality on human health.
Key Messages for Ireland
in 2016
There are many and often complex linkages between our
everyday lives and the wider environment. Many linkages
are already known, but others are still to be discovered
and their effects on our environment investigated. This is
where the EPA research programme plays a key role.
Many of the steps needed to deal with known
environmental issues in Ireland have already been mapped
out, but appropriate buy-in and implementation of these
steps across society is often the biggest challenge. The
main messages for protecting Ireland’s environment arising
from the report are as follows: