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Contents
Foreword 6 Acknowledgements 8 Executive Summary 10 Environment and Health and Wellbeing 10 Climate Change 11 Implementation of Legislation 11 Restore and Protect Water Quality 12 Sustainable Economic Activities 13 Nature and Wild Places 13 Community Engagement 14 Challenges 14 Section I Introduction 15 Chapter 1 Introduction 16 Introduction 17 Content of the Report 18 Mixed Progress in Addressing Environmental Challenges 18 Key Messages for Ireland in 2016 19 References 20 Section II Environmental Assessments 21 Chapter 2 Air Quality and Transboundary Air Emissions 22 Introduction 23 Air Quality and Health 25 EU Directives on Air Quality 26 Transboundary Air Emissions 26 The Current Air Quality Situation in Ireland 27 Main Air Pollutants 27 Oxides of Nitrogen (NO x ) 27 Particulate Matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) 28 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) 28 Ground-level Ozone (O 3 ) 28 Other Pollutants 29 Quantity of Air Pollutants Emitted 29 Transboundary Air Pollutants 29 Sulphur Dioxide (SO 2 ) 30 Oxides of Nitrogen (NO X ) 30 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) 30 Ammonia (NH 3 ) 30 Other Transboundary Pollutants 31 Responses 31 EU Legislation 31 Clean Air Policy Package 31 WHO Guideline Values 31 Industry 31 Residential Heating 31 Road Transport 32 Shipping 32 Transboundary Air Pollution 32 EPA Air Research Programme 33 Key Achievements of Air Pollution Research 33 Priority Areas for Air Pollution Research 33 Outlook for Air Quality in Ireland 34 Conclusions and Future Challenges 35 Pathway to Good Air Quality 35 References 36 Chapter 3 Climate Change 38 Introduction 39 Scientific Understanding 39 The Responses to Climate Change 40 We Know What to Do to Address Climate Change 40 The Paris Agreement 41 EU Climate and Energy Package 42 Adaptation Action at the EU Level 42 Impacts of Climate Change in the Marine Environment 43 National Legislation and Policy 43 Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions 44 Per Capita Emissions in Ireland and EU Emissions 45 Emissions Projections 46 Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry 46 Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation 47 Sectoral Impacts of Climate Change for Ireland 47 National Policy Development 47Contents