Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

21 Executive Summary Environment, Health and Wellbeing 1. Our health and wellbeing is inextricably linked to our surrounding environment. The health benefits of a vibrant natural world are countless, providing us with breathable air, drinkable water, productive soils and spaces for us to spend time in and enjoy, enhancing both our physical and mental health and wellbeing. 2. The harmful environmental exposures causing disease and early death are modifiable. Reducing pollution, adapting to and mitigating climate impacts, and restoring ecosystems can have enormous benefits for our health and wellbeing. Solutions that can help tackle one issue can have multiple co-benefits for others. Implementation of solutions that can maximise benefits across multiple domains should be prioritised. 3. The impacts of environmental hazards and exposures are not equal across society. More efforts are required to assess inequalities in both levels of exposure and impact at a finer geographical scale to determine whether measures implemented are helping to bridge the gap. Circular Economy and Waste 1. Ireland has a damaging linear economy characterised by the overconsumption of materials and goods and the growing volumes of waste and greenhouse gas emissions. While recycling tonnages are increasing, these increases are being cancelled out by the growing amount of waste generated. Current trends pose a high risk of not meeting mandatory recycling targets. The challenge for Ireland is to reverse these trends and significantly reduce waste production. 2. Ireland’s capacity to collect and treat waste is vulnerable and underperforming, with an over-reliance on other countries to treat our recycling materials, general municipal and hazardous wastes. 3. Systemic change is needed to accelerate the transition to an accessible, fair and affordable circular economy. Effective regulation, incentives and enforcement are required to influence businesses and consumers to adopt best practices in production, supply, purchasing, use and reuse of goods, products and services. Environmental Policy Implementation and Performance 1. Serious deficits remain in Ireland’s implementation of environmental legislation and related plans and programmes. We need to scale up and speed up the implementation of measures and critical infrastructure in energy, transport, waste and water to protect our environment and human health. 2. Environmental policy responses to date have been insufficient to halt or reverse environmental decline. A national policy position on protecting Ireland’s environment is urgently required to provide a shared whole- of-government vision for protecting our environment to guide decision-making, support policy coherence and improve the coordination of environmental protection efforts nationally. 3. Looking ahead to 2050, more ambitious and transformative policy responses are needed that set out a roadmap for achieving the transitions required across our food, energy, mobility, and production and consumption systems. These policies need to be supported by clear governance structures and the necessary investment plans to implement them.