GHP Comment: Ireland is known for its ability to talk and when it comes to the Environment that is all we have been doing – Talking. In tourism we still do not have a sectoral plan or Climate Change Strategy – yet we keep using our “Green” image to promote our sector – this is called Greenwashing! It is time we took action.

Forward from the EPA – We have launched our seventh State of the Environment report today. ‘Ireland’s Environment: An Integrated Assessment 2020’ reveals that enduring and systemic challenges are putting pressure on the environment and remain to be solved.

Launching the report, Laura Burke, EPA Director General commented that “The overall quality of Ireland’s environment is not what it should be, and the outlook is not optimistic unless we accelerate the implementation of solutions across all sectors and society.”

The report found that almost 90% of our energy is generated from fossil fuels giving rise to greenhouse gases; air quality in some urban areas doesn’t meet WHO standards; nature and habitats are being damaged (85% of EU listed habitats are in unfavourable condition) and wetland bird species, such as curlew, are under threat as a breeding species.

Furthermore, raw sewage is being discharged to water from 35 towns and villages; pristine river water quality is being lost (from over 500 areas in the 80s to just 20 in 2020); nutrient concentrations in rivers and nutrient inputs to the marine environment are increasing; more than one million tonnes of food waste is generated each year in Ireland and littering remains a problem.