Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

362 Chapter 13: Environment and Industry Key chapter messages 1. Industrial pollution in Ireland is decreasing, thanks to a blend of regulation, developments in manufacturing, control technology and environmental initiatives. However, despite these improvements, some sectors of industry are still responsible for a significant burden on our environment. Continued investment and change are needed to ensure compliance with tighter environmental standards and to achieve the targets and reductions that are required under industry’s climate commitments. 2. Compliance with environmental regulation across industry in Ireland is high overall. Many sectors have advanced environmental systems in place that demonstrate a maturity in their approach to environmental compliance. However, a disproportionate number of sites in the food and drink sector, in particular dairy processing sites, and in the waste sector are not performing optimally and are regularly cited on the EPA’s list of national priority sites for not complying with their licence conditions. 3. The unauthorised harvesting and extraction of peat on an industrial scale is causing destruction of Ireland’s natural habitats and compromising the vital role of peatlands in helping society mitigate the impacts of and adapt to climate change. It is essential that planning policy clearly prioritises the regulation and control of these operations. The EPA will continue to exercise its authority over operators and other regulators to ensure the cessation of such unauthorised activities.