What is happening nationally to address biodiversity loss?

What is happening nationally to address biodiversity loss?

The loss of the Earth’s natural resources was recognised on an international level at the 1992 ‘Earth Summit’. The Convention on Biological Diversity was signed by all nations at that meeting, including Ireland.

On 9 May 2019 the Dáil declared a climate and biodiversity emergency. This declaration recognises that with so many pressures impacting on biodiversity we need a strong collective effort to take decisive national action to halt biodiversity loss.

Ireland’s 1st National Biodiversity Plan was launched in April 2002, with a series of updates published since, each building on the achievements of previous plans. These Plans set the national biodiversity agenda and aim to deliver the meaningful changes required.

Ireland’s 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2030 strives for a “whole of government, whole of society” approach to the governance and conservation of biodiversity. The Plan has been developed with the support, advice and input of the Interdepartmental Biodiversity Working Group and the independent Biodiversity Forum.

It will continue to implement actions within the framework of five strategic objectives, while addressing new and emerging issues:

• Objective 1 - Adopt a Whole of Government, Whole of Society Approach to Biodiversity
• Objective 2 - Meet Urgent Conservation and Restoration Needs
• Objective 3 - Secure Nature’s Contribution to People
• Objective 4 - Enhance the Evidence Base for Action on Biodiversity
• Objective 5 - Strengthen Ireland’s Contribution to International Biodiversity Initiatives

A video to promote Actions for Nature and Ireland’s 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan can be viewed here.

Previous National Biodiversity Action Plans can be found on the National Parks and Wildlife Service website here with county, city and community Biodiversity Action Plans available on Ireland’s Portal for Biodiversity Action Plans.

The Citizen’s Assembly on Biodiversity Loss was established in 2022. It comprised 100 members, including 99 members of the public, randomly selected from households across Ireland, and an independent Chairperson appointed by the Taoiseach. In March 2023 it published the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss which included 159 recommendations on how Ireland could improve its response to the issue of biodiversity loss.