The Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) has said that additional financial supports with “accelerated action” is “urgently needed” for further biodiversity progress.

In its annual review, the council welcomed some progress with increased legal obligations and targets, however said that current funding for biodiversity conservation and restoration is “totally inadequate”.

The council outlined some key recommendations for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage prior to the publication of the National Restoration Plan for nature.

Some of the recommendations include:

  • Ambitious targets and measures for the restoration of ecosystems on land and at sea should be aligned with and support the achievement of the National Climate Objective by 2050;
  • Proper costing and funding with clear and adequate financial incentives for the adoption of nature-friendly practices and restoration activities should be incorporated;
  • The government must provide a credible plan for achieving the 2030 target of having 30% of land and marine areas under protection.

The council added that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) needs to expand schemes under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan to ensure long-term financial support to farmers for nature-friendly management practices.

The report stated that systematic monitoring of the condition of biodiversity on farmland is needed at the national level and should build on the scorecard approach under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

CCAC

Chair of the CCAC, Marie Donnelly said: “The adoption of nature-based approaches must be scaled up to deliver co-benefits for biodiversity and climate.

“To deliver on this government needs to create an integrated land use strategy to support climate, biodiversity and water goals, based on comprehensive spatial data.”

CCAC Professor Yvonne Buckley said: “We need to optimise the role of ecosystem restoration in reducing emissions, sequestering carbon and improving resilience to climate change.

“Peatland restoration is an obvious example but many other ecosystems need to be protected and restored, particularly in coastal and upland areas.”