Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

474 Chapter 17: Conclusions Figure 17.1  Five key priorities from the State of the Environment Report 2024 Delivering a national policy position on the environment We urgently need to have a national policy position on the environment to address the complex interactions, synergies and trade-offs across environmental policy areas and to deal with its interactions with other policy domains. Driving policy implementation We must rigorously implement existing environmental plans and programmes to achieve the benefits that they were developed to deliver. Transforming our systems Transformation of our energy, transport, food and industrial sectors is critical to achieving a sustainable future. Scaling up investment in infrastructure Investment in water, energy, transport and waste management infrastructure is essential to protect the environment now and into the future. Protecting the environment to protect our health Protecting the environment is key to protecting our health and we must act to reduce the modifiable risks to our health from environmental exposures.