Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

3 Foreword We can of course take pride in all we have achieved, at both the policy and systemic levels, and all the positive changes people have made and continue to make in their lives. But we must also recognise that what we are doing is not enough. We now have cleaner air in our cities, but we have increasing evidence that even low levels of air pollution harm our health. We have addressed serious pollution in our rivers, but many of our best water bodies have lost their pristine status. We recycle more, but we also generate more waste overall, much of which is exported. We are taking individual positive actions across multiple fronts, but they are not keeping pace with the growing pressures, and the environment is being squeezed. In many areas, such as biodiversity and water quality, we are not halting environmental decline. In short – we must do better. Vastly better. For too long we have merely aimed to ‘get by’, aspiring to only minimum standards, and in many instances, not even reaching those. Our policy responses to date have been insufficient to halt the decline in our environment. We have made progress in some areas, but the scale and the speed of it has been too small and too slow. The responsibility for protecting and managing our environment is a shared responsibility that involves government departments, industry, and all citizens of Ireland. Businesses, industry, landowners and members of the public all have an essential role to play. Ireland has set a national objective to transition by 2050 to a climate-resilient, biodiversity-rich, environmentally sustainable and climate-neutral economy. Achieving this multifaceted objective will be the most complex and interconnected societal challenge for the next 25 years, and each step towards its achievement will present opportunities and challenges. Efficiencies will not get us there. Incrementalism will not get us there. Collectively we must shift our society to a sustainable trajectory. In this report, we set out five priorities, which, if acted upon, would move us in the right direction, namely: ■ We urgently need to have a national policy position on the environment to align our actions. ■ We must rigorously implement existing environmental plans and programmes and comply with environmental law. ■ We need to transform our energy, transport, food and industrial systems to achieve climate neutrality and drive down pollution. ■ We must scale up investment in water, energy, transport and waste management infrastructure. ■ We must protect our environment to protect our health. We can no longer put off these changes and the urgency cannot be overstated. It will not get easier or cheaper, and year on year the need will become even greater. The environment underpins every sector of the economy and every aspect of our lives, our health and our wellbeing. Delaying now will further degrade our precious environment. We must transform, not to meet some targets or some deadlines, but because it is the right thing to do, for our environment, for our economy, and above all, for the health and wellbeing of ourselves and our families, now and into the future. Every change that we put off making now becomes harder next year, and more costly to achieve. The Climate Change 2023 Synthesis Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has made it clear: there is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. We, in Ireland, must do our part in making this sustainable future a reality. Clear, accurate and timely information is vital to raising awareness among the public and those responsible for policy and for making critical decisions. I extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to all those who contributed to this report. With their help, I sincerely hope that this stock-take of the Irish environment serves as a stark reminder: preserving our environment is not a ‘nice-to-have’ – it is an act of self-preservation. The time for half measures is over. It is our responsibility to act decisively and ambitiously, for if we fail, we risk leaving behind a legacy of irreversible damage and lost opportunities. We must choose a future where Ireland thrives. Laura Burke Director General Environmental Protection Agency October 2024