Ireland is suffering from human overconsumption, poor water quality and alarming biodiversity decline, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has warned in a damning report.
The EEA also warns that Ireland is on track to fail a raft of key environmental targets in the coming years.
In its hard-hitting report, the European Environment Agency looked in detail at environmental progress across the European Union.
Whilst some countries are making progress including cutting emsissions and reducing consumption, the EEA found that Ireland is static or moving in the wrong direction on many measures.
“Ireland’s economy remains substantively linear, marked by material overconsumption, increasing waste volumes and reliance on waste exports”, the EEA says.
“Biodiversity remains under threat and the state of nature is very poor. Food systems are not currently meeting sustainability targets, although positive actions are being implemented at the farm level.”
Whilst Ireland does meet current greenhouse gas emission targets, the EEA warns that the state will “fall short” of the tougher 42 percent reduction target it is supposed to achieve by 2030.
Meanwhile, water quality has “remained static, with persistent pressures primarily from agriculture” as well as forestry and sewage discharges, the EEA says.
There are some positives: Ireland’s air quality is “among Europe’s best and meets EU standards”. And there are signs of a “rapid increase” in electricity generation from renewables and increased use of public transport.
But the European Environment Agency says the other woeful stats should ring alarm bells in Dublin.
“Ireland needs to speed up the transformation of its energy, transport, food and industrial systems to become more sustainable. In this context, Ireland has set a national objective to transition to a climate-resilient, biodiversity-rich, environmentally sustainable and climate-neutral economy by 2050”, the EEA says.
Summary assessment
Ireland’s State of the Environment Report 2024 highlights the key challenges and actions, which are summarised below.
- Climate. Progress has been made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening governance, but the overall assessment reveals a poor situation. Full implementation of the national Climate Action Plan is crucial to meet 2030 and 2050 targets.
- Air quality. Ireland’s air quality is among the best in Europe and meets current EU air quality standards for many pollutants, including NO2 and particulate matter. It does not currently meet WHO guidelines for several pollutants. Ireland’s Clean Air Strategy sets out actions to comply with WHO guidelines by 2040.
- Nature. The assessment of nature is very poor, with 85% of Ireland’s protected habitats and almost one third of protected species of flora and fauna having an unfavourable status. Over half of native plant species are in decline and more than 50 bird species are of high conservation concern. Significant measures are needed to address declines.
- Water. The water quality assessment is poor, with no net improvement in river or lake quality and pressures related to agriculture, hydromorphology, forestry and urban sewage discharges. Compliance with EU obligations remains a challenge.
- Circular economy and waste. The assessment is poor, with increasing waste generation and reliance on export markets. Urgent improvements are needed to meet 2025 recycling targets.