Last week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its State of the Environment Report 2024 which outlines, in no uncertain terms, the degraded state of every part of our environment and tracks its downward trends since the last publication in 2020.
The 2020 report came out early in the current Government’s term and was an incredibly forceful criticism of the action taken to date to protect and restore our natural environment. A central message of the 2020 report was a call for a national policy position on the environment. The Government has failed to heed this straight-forward call. This call remains critical if we are to address the complex and interrelated challenges on climate, biodiversity and pollution and to prevent damaging lock-ins.
While this 2024 report identifies that there are a host of policies which moved Ireland forward during this Government’s term, their lack of implementation has resulted in no observable improvement in the state of the environment. The report goes further than just asking for existing policies to be implemented and recognises the critical condition of Ireland’s environment by setting out as a key priority of “(t)ransformation of our energy, transport, food and industrial sectors [which] is critical to achieving a sustainable future.” It highlights, in a specific chapter, how healthy ecosystems and climate actions are not just “nice to haves,” rather they are fundamental for our own health and well being. The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat all rely on healthy, unpolluted ecosystems and a steady, predictable climate. Access to green space, shade and shelter of trees, clean bathing areas and quiet areas are all important, but lesser acknowledged aspects of environmental health. The EPA goes on:
“Creating healthy places free from environmental hazards is key to creating a healthier and fairer society in which everyone can thrive. There is substantial evidence of the positive impact of engagement with nature and our environment, with links to better mental health and wellbeing, physical activity, stress reduction and social interactions.”
Two areas are particularly striking when read in the light of other recent events and reports.
Transport
Transport is an area which JCFJ considers to be of vital importance as it impacts on several environmental and social factors including, among others, air quality, carbon emissions, land sealing, urban livability, safety and child independence. This report reiterates that the model we currently have, which is highly car dominated, is not fit for purpose. We need system change to achieve Ireland’s climate goals in the transport sector.
Switching to electric vehicles alone will not never be enough. We need a transport model where there is less demand for transport in the first place, where people can choose to walk and cycle in safety, have access to reliable public transport and, when necessary, have access to private cars to get us where they need to go. To achieve this we need deep integration of spatial, transport and transition planning to achieve compact development and to expand the infrastructure needed for active and public transport. Within urban spaces this has to mean space reallocation from private car use to active and public transport use. While this should be relatively uncontentious – it has been successfully modeled across the world including in the Netherlands and France – we have recent first hand experience of the opposition towards even small steps in this direction.
The first steps of the implementation of the Dublin Transport Plan resulted in removing access to private cars on very small sections of the Dublin quays – reducing congestion so bus journeys would be quicker for 10,000s of users. To force this small change, several protests, numerous publications, debunking of a shoddy economic report and sustained advocacy by environmental, health, social justice and commuter organisations and coalitions were needed. While ultimately successful, the system level change that is required will not happen with this level of resistance to every incremental change which is needed. There is an overriding public good when it comes to creating spaces which have less or slower cars, or where cars are excluded altogether. Ensuring enough public support, and political will, which allows these changes to happen quicker and easier is an incredibly important aspect of this work.
Biodiversity
For over a decade, the EPA has been sounding the alarm for protecting and valuing Ireland’s natural environment. The most recent report is no different. We have modified our landscape beyond ecological recognition and what natural ecosystems do exist are in a poor or bad state. Our ecosystems are fragmented and marginalised and many of the species which should thrive here are declining or on the verge of extinction. The report recognises that the newly developed policies in this area, if implemented, could make a significant and lasting difference however, as we know from previous reports, implementation of environmental policies is something we struggle with as a country.
Research published by Teagasc, UCD and TUI this month has shown that a “disappointingly low’ 1% of Ireland is natural, native forest”. This means that of the 11% of Ireland which is covered by forests, 10% is not especially ecologically valuable either because they are non-native sitka spruce or some other type of forestry which supports little biodiversity. Additionally, of this 1% of ‘High Nature Value’ woodland much of it is fragmented into smaller pieces or is located on private farmland and is protected by the goodwill of the farmer alone. Remediating this situation we will need to not only support farmers in protecting and expanding their native woodlands but we will also need to identify where we can significantly expand and improve woodlands in public ownership.
Coincidentally, news also broke in recent weeks of a parcel of land becoming available beside an ecologically important ancient woodland, Glen of the Downs, in Wicklow. There is increasing pressure from environmental groups to purchase the land to allow a natural expansion of the forest. This opportunity would allow connection with other forest fragments in the area, as well as restoring the current forest to good ecological health, by removing invasive species. This project would be an incredible boost to the conservation of our natural ecosystems but it would also be a measure of the priority the Government places on ecological conservation. Failure to act to protect and expand this vital native ecosystem would illustrate that Irish native woodlands are just not important enough to invest in.
Follow the money
The report is unequivocal that the Irish Government and Irish population needs to take serious action on all aspects of the Irish environment. While this report was published a few days after the budget announcement, assessing where Government money goes is an important predictor of future action.
Labeled as the ‘give away budget’, it has been met with decidedly mixed reviews. While there were some positives evident in the budget, particularly the large increase in funding for retrofitting homes which not only reduces emissions but also reduces energy poverty, this budget can be viewed as a missed opportunity to grapple with the scale of the ecological crisis we are experiencing. Considering the dire warnings of the 2024 State of the Environment Report massive increases in investment, across the environmental scale, are required. It remains to be seen if the money targeted towards reducing emissions and protecting our natural environment are anywhere enough to turn the tide. What we do know is that policies without implementation are not worth the paper they are written on.
