Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

17 Executive Summary Key messages from chapters Introduction 1. A national policy position for Ireland’s environment is critical to addressing complex and interrelated challenges on climate, biodiversity and pollution and prevent damaging lock-ins. 2. Our growing economy and population are increasing the pressure on our environment. We need to invest in our infrastructure to prevent this growth impacting on our natural environment. Air 1. While air pollution has reduced over recent decades, our understanding of the level at which it impacts health has grown. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that there is no safe level of air pollution. 2. Currently, Ireland is not meeting the guidelines set by WHO for multiple pollutants including fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. We can actively improve our local air quality by changing to more sustainable forms of transport and heating. 3. Achieving Ireland’s ambition, set out in the Clean Air Strategy, to move towards meeting the health-based WHO air quality guideline limits will be challenging but will have a significant and positive impact on health. A road map of actions is required to deliver on the overall ambition and the 2026 and 2030 interim targets. 4. Ireland is non-compliant with the EU reduction target for ammonia and will remain so in the short term. Meeting the 2030 emission reduction commitment is dependent on fully executing all known ammonia abatement measures at the farm level. Environmental Noise 1. Environmental noise is the second biggest environmental cause of health problems in the EU. In Ireland, over 1 million people are likely to be exposed to noise levels above the mandatory reporting thresholds. 2. National policy for environmental noise is not as well advanced as in other environmental areas. There is a need for coordinated national policy and actions around planning, health and transport infrastructure to reduce noise exposure. 3. Local authorities, in collaboration with transport infrastructure bodies, need to focus implementation of noise action plans on the priority areas identified using strategic noise mapping. Climate Change 1. The science is clear – climate change is already having an impact on people, animals and plants in Ireland. The evidence is unequivocable, Ireland is being affected by climate change now, and the severity of the impacts is likely to increase significantly in the coming years. 2. Ireland needs to be resilient to ongoing and future climate change impacts. The implementation of climate adaptation measures is currently too slow and fragmented. More cross-sectoral and integrated adaptation actions can deliver multiple benefits. Doing better requires more financing, working with people and nature, monitoring and evaluating outcomes and increasing public and private sector involvement. 3. Ireland is not currently projected to achieve its 2030 emissions reduction targets or to meet national or EU reduction targets. Despite Irish climate action ambitions, significantly faster progress is needed to decarbonise all sectors of Ireland’s economy and implement adaptation actions to deliver a resilient and sustainable future for the benefit of all society. 4. It is critical that people and communities are supported to achieve the changes required to address climate change. To overcome the practical barriers to climate action, and to ensure that objectives are both achievable and equitable, understanding the beliefs, attitudes and challenges facing people in Ireland is crucial. Policy should be designed and implemented so that the desirable action becomes the default action.