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

Ireland’s Environment – An Integrated Assessment 2020 Figure 16.2  Overall key messages from the 2020 state of environment report for Ireland SOE 1: Environmental Policy Position A national policy position for Ireland’s environment. ACTIONS – WHAT IS NEEDED? There are many interlinkages and dependencies between environmental policies and legislation. These links could be better connected and reinforced through an integrated national policy position on protecting Ireland’s environment. SOE 2: Full Implementation Full implementation of existing environmental legislation and a review of the governance around the coordination on environmental protection across public bodies. ACTIONS – WHAT IS NEEDED? Full implementation of, and compliance with, existing environmental directives and legislation is a must to protect the environment. A review of environmental governance is needed to develop structures to achieve full implementation. This review should also develop recommendations for governance structures that help with improving coordination and linking up environmental protection work across different departments, organisations and regulatory bodies. SOE 3: Health and Wellbeing Protecting the Environment is an Investment in Our Health and Wellbeing. ACTIONS – WHAT IS NEEDED? Managing the environmental and radiological risks to health from chemicals and other pollutants is still a major part of environmental protection. Green and blue spaces as well as quiet areas also need to be protected as they provide social spaces for communities and enable a connection to nature, with evidence showing that spending time in such spaces is good for health. We Need Vision and Implementation to Protect Ireland’s Environment and our Health and Wellbeing SOE 4: Climate Systemic change is required for Ireland to become the climate-neutral and climate- resilient society and economy that it aspires to be. ACTIONS – WHAT IS NEEDED? More urgency is needed to deliver actions on climate mitigation and adaptation and to ensure that Ireland meets its international obligations to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While Ireland’s GHG emissions, with full implementation of the Climate Action Plan, are projected to decrease by an annual average reduction of 3% between 2021 and 2030, further measures are required to meet national and EU ambitions to keep the global temperature increase to 1.5°C. SOE 5: Air Quality Adoption of measures to meet the World Health Organization air quality guideline values should be the target to aim for in the Clean Air Strategy. ACTIONS – WHAT IS NEEDED? The publication and implementation of the planned National Clean Air Strategy is needed to protect Ireland’s air quality. The adoption of the World Health Organization guideline values as national air quality standards within the strategy would provide for a higher level of public health protection. Integrating air pollution controls, noise mitigation measures and climate action, for example in transport management, can bring multiple benefits. SOE 6: Nature Safeguard nature and wild places as a national priority and to leave a legacy for future generations. ACTIONS – WHAT IS NEEDED? Nature and wild places are at risk in Ireland and need to be better safeguarded, both locally and in protected areas. The next Biodiversity Action Plan needs to be more ambitious and identify the pathway to transformative change for nature protection in Ireland. It needs to develop and further strengthen the protection of our national network of protected areas for future generations and to reverse wider current trends in biodiversity and habitat loss. Step Up to Protect the Environment Around Us as it is Under Increasing Threat 432