'We can't wait': State of Ireland's environment 'not a pretty picture' and we need 'systemic change'
The Environmental Protection Agency says the government urgently needs to outline its National Policy Position on the environment
The state of Ireland’s environment is ‘not a pretty picture’ according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which has called for 'systemic change'.
But if the government actually ‘transformed our systems’ and fully implemented their own policies, we could soon be living in “a clean, well-protected environment” with sustainable transport connections designed for a thriving future, the EPA says.
Every four years, Ireland’s environmental watchdog issues a flagship report, analysing actions to improve our air and water quality, nature loss, progress on the climate crisis, waste and the circular economy.
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Across the 485 pages of their eighth State of the Environment report in 30 years, the EPA also assessed performance in key sectors like transport, agri-foods and industry and how well the State is implementing its environmental policies.
While it is not all ‘doom and gloom’, the EPA says it found the Irish Government and authorities are performing ‘very poorly’ on nature, ‘poorly’ on water, climate and waste and ‘moderately’ on air quality and pollution. With time running out to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis, it has again called on the government to urgently outline its National Policy Position on the environment.
While communities like Midleton face catastrophic flooding because of the climate crisis, the EPA says Ireland continues burning the fossil fuels that caused it for most of our energy needs. And as a result, “we’re still well off track in meeting our 2030 targets” to cut climate-harming emissions while 36 per cent of us are ‘alarmed’ by the climate crisis, 48 per cent are concerned and a further 12 per cent are cautious.
System transformation ‘critical’
Currently, just 13 per cent of the energy we use comes from renewables, while 48 per cent is from oil, 31 per cent from gas, 5 per cent from coal, 1.6 per cent from peat and 1 per cent from waste. Director of the Office of Environmental Sustainability, David Flynn, explained: “That’s total energy, so it’s not just electricity generation.
“It’s the energy used by cars, energy used to heat the home and everything else as well. While we are up over 40.3 per cent now in terms of electricity generation, we are not doing so well on renewable heat and renewables in transport because there are not that many EVs.”
EPA programme manager Andy Fanning told the Irish Mirror: “The key message is transforming our systems. That’s where the real change is going to have to happen - systemic change.
State of our Environment 2024:
Not on track to meet 2030 climate targets
Biodiversity in serious trouble
Almost third of species at risk
85% of EU-protected habitats in unfavourable status
Consumption rates rising
Recycling rates not keeping up
Food waste not falling
Discussion on land-use needed
Need more regenerative agriculture
Water bodies not meeting EU standards
Nutrient levels in water not improving
Challenge to meet WHO air quality guidelines by 2026
“The food system has to transform and become much more sustainable but the same has to happen for our energy, our transport and our industry. All four of those have to happen concurrently. Time is getting shorter, the window for activity is getting narrower so we need to make that push forward now.
“These changes require infrastructure and behaviour change, that’s where we see a substantial amount of the effort going to have to fall in the next number of years. We can’t wait. We need to build out the infrastructure now so, when we have a bigger population with a stronger economy, we’re not going to degrade [the environment] further.”
But what does this new version of Ireland look like?
Andy added: “The overall vision, I suppose, is a clean, well-protected environment. On the transport side, living in the city, you will have access to public transport to get to where you want to. If you decide to walk, scoot or cycle, that infrastructure will be in place.
“More importantly, in the planning of new areas, this will be part of the design. On the rural side, you are seeing transport development through connecting Ireland and the pathfinder project.”
The EPA also called for scaled-up investment in water, energy, transport and waste management, saying people need to understand the link between protecting our environment and protecting our health.
Dr Micheál Lehane added: “We need our air, water and natural environment to continue to prosper. You either change for the environment now or the environment will irrevocably change us and how we live later. If we delivered all of what we’ve already committed to, then we would go a long way to meeting our ambitions and our targets,” he added.
“We need a National Policy Position on the Environment - as something that guides environmental protection for the next generation.”
EPA director Laura Burke added: “We can no longer take the environment for granted. This time, we need to be ahead. A healthier environment is attainable for all and is within our reach.”
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