As part of our Climate Action Hub, an ongoing Climate | Focus series of specialised research papers, blogs and commentaries intends to provoke thought and debate in this area of vital national interest.
The latest in the series explores what has been a catastrophic worldwide decline in nature and efforts around nature protection.
The Houses of the Oireachtas Climate Action Hub brings together expertise from across the Service to enhance our provision of climate-related information, research and analysis. With input from our Library & Research Service, the Parliamentary Budget Office, the committees secretariat and the sustainability unit, this hub is a repository of information related to climate action in the Service.
The Climate | Focus series is available on our Climate Hub.
In the latest entry to our Climate | Focus series, Dr. Mike Brennan of the Library & Research Service takes a look at how global biodiversity loss may be even more severe than currently recognised and the purpose of the Nature Restoration Law in seeking to reverse this damage.
Some key points from the report:
Background
Globally, natural areas are under severe pressure due to human activity, with the situation
worsened by the impacts of climate breakdown. This is true in the EU as well where, despite
some improvements, there has not been substantial progress in halting biodiversity loss and
nature destruction.
Nature in Ireland
Ireland's biodiversity is not in good condition, with data from the National Parks and Wildlife Service indicating that we are suffering widespread habitat destruction and nature loss. In a related development, the European Commission has referred Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for its failure to fully implement environmental legislation.
Nevertheless, there are some conservation success stories in Ireland, with the National Biodiversity Data Centre listing several examples of successful efforts to bring back species from the brink of extinction.
The Nature Restoration Law
European Union information on the Nature Restoration Law
This law seeks to set multiple binding restoration targets and obligations across a range of ecosystems, including agricultural land, rivers, marine habitats and even urban areas. In total, by 2030 these nature restoration measures should cover at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.