EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Chapter 6: Nature 3. Current Status and Trends Sixth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity Performance indicators objectively track progress towards our biodiversity commitments and targets at a time when nature is under increasing pressure. Ireland’s 6th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity (DCHG, 2019a) reviewed our progress in relation to the five Strategic Goals and 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets set out in 2011 for implementation by 2020. 3 The report found that progress towards many of our national biodiversity targets is partially effective but too slow. A ‘transformational change’ is needed if Ireland is to achieve the vision outlined in the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017-2021 (DCHG, 2017). An online indicator dashboard has been launched by the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP) to accompany the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) report. The BIP is a global initiative to promote the development and delivery of biodiversity indicators and it responds to requests from the CBD, Intergovernmental Science–Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the United Nations (SDGs), among others. The dashboard provides an update of a country’s biodiversity targets according to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the United Nations SDGs and any multilateral environmental agreements that are in place. Further information can be found on the BIP website. 4 3 https://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/ 4 http://bipdashboard.natureserve.org/bip/SelectIndicator. html?iso=IRL&reg=Europe Habitat Trends Marine, peatland, grassland and woodland habitats are under threat in Ireland. Although Ireland naturally has a less diverse population of plants, insects and animals than mainland Europe, it has some habitats that are of EU importance, such as our peatlands. Our aquatic systems and wetlands (see Topic Box 6.1) also support populations of birds, fish and invertebrates that are of international importance. A recent report by the NPWS (2019) provided the current status of Ireland’s 59 protected natural habitats and 60 protected species naturally occurring in Ireland (Figure 6.1). Most habitats assessed in Ireland have an unfavourable status and almost half show ongoing declines, including marine, peatland, grassland and woodland habitats. Further details on peatlands, their protection and restoration is covered in Chapter 5. 131