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

Ireland’s Environment – An Integrated Assessment 2020 Sustained commitments to and progress in addressing these key SOE messages will be necessary to meet people’s rightful expectations of living in a healthy environment. Progress in these areas will allow Ireland to evolve as a sustainable, climate-neutral, climate-resilient economy, which safeguards nature, prevents deterioration of local environments – important for wellbeing – and protects people’s health from environmental pollutants. Aerial view of Wexford town The overarching message from this report is that system- wide change is now needed in how we look after our environment. Research has demonstrated that our health and the state of environment are intrinsically linked. System changes are needed across the energy, transport, and agriculture sectors and on the built environment, to improve sustainability and reduce emissions which are damaging our environment and health. Ireland needs to improve its performance in protecting nature and natural resources at community and national levels. Improvements are also needed in implementing environmental and radiological legalisation and policy. However, economy or society cannot make the right sustainable choices if the systems or policies around them make it difficult to implement measures to protect the environment. Collaboration and better connectivity across the different systems and policies are needed, as many are interlinked. Ireland has many plans in place with environmental commitments and for various sectors, yet our environment continues to be affected. To ensure the plans and projects are being carried out in the right way, in the right place and at the right time we need them to be implemented, monitored and accountable. A national policy position for Ireland’s environment could help to achieve all of this. Evidence-based policy decisions using assessment tools should play a central part in protecting Ireland’s environment into the future. These tools include integrated environmental assessment, system-based approaches, spatial planning, the precautionary principle and ecosystem services assessment. Killaun Bog, Co. Offaly As national economic stimulus packages are being devised to help aid recovery post-coronavirus (COVID-19), now is also a time to consider the opportunities that will arise to leverage enduring environmental and public health benefits that address the challenges raised in this report. We know that environmental protection is a local issue with global consequences. Ireland’s environment is what connects us to our local places. It is part of our natural heritage and where we live. When added together, the solutions taken at home, in businesses or at a field level can result in local improvements to global problems. Such local perspectives and community engagement, linked with national policies, leadership and direction, are part of the transition needed to protect Ireland’s environment into the future. It is our health and our environment that matters. This decade will be pivotal in how we deal with the challenges around protecting both. 20