For the fourth consecutive year, climate change has been identified by the public as the top environmental issue facing Ireland, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The agency published its Year in Review today (Monday, February 28), alongside the results of an EPA/Red C survey gauging public attitudes towards the environment.

Key findings of the survey

  • Climate change remains the most pressing environmental issue facing Ireland for the fourth year in a row;
  • 86% of adults agree that the environment is a valuable asset to the people of Ireland;
  • Four in five adults found that having a clean, unpolluted environment and access to nature or the environment were important for exercise and their mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic;
  • 73% of adults say they have made changes or taken steps personally to help the environment.

During 2021, the EPA published research detailing how global climate changes are reflected in Ireland’s atmosphere, oceans, and landscape.

In preparing and analysing Ireland’s data on greenhouse gas emissions, the EPA identified only a small reduction due to Covid-19 restrictions.

This highlights the scale of action required to reach the 51% emissions reduction target by 2030, according to the agency.

However, in the first report from the EPA’s Climate Change in the Irish Mind project, the public were found to have very high levels of awareness, are informed and understand the implications of a changing climate, and they see that opportunities exist for jobs, innovation and well-being in taking climate action.

Commenting on the report, Laura Burke, director general of the EPA said:

“One lesson from the past two years is that well-communicated science can successfully inform policy, perception and behaviour, even when the challenges are daunting.

“There is the opportunity now to build the foundation for a green recovery to protect and restore Ireland’s environment. The EPA supports actions at every level – government, business, and individual – to be informed by science, which is targeted and focussed on changing our current unsustainable consumption and production patterns.”

The director general said that throughout the pandemic, the essential work of the EPA continued to ensure that the protection of human health and the environment was not diminished.

“As an environmental regulator, we adapted to circumstances, responding to complaints, incidents and emergencies, carrying out site inspections and engaging with licensees in a risk-based and proportionate manner.”

Licensing and permitting decisions undertaken by the EPA in 2021 included high-profile facility expansions and greenfield investment activities in the pharmachem, food and drink, waste, information technology and power sectors.

EPA in 2021

The EPA invested almost €2 million in 2021 in driving the national circular economy and launched the Circular Economy Programme which will help businesses, citizens and the public sector reduce resource use, prevent waste and achieve sustainable economic growth.

During 2021, the agency expanded its air-quality network, which provides information linked to public health advice, and the radiation-monitoring network, which provides an alert in the event radioactivity reaches Ireland through the atmosphere, is currently being upgraded.

Analysis of water quality in rivers, lakes, groundwaters, estuaries and coastal waters continued in 2021 and identified high nutrient levels from agriculture, and waste water discharges, as the main threats.

While the quality of drinking water in public supplies remains high, delays in delivering public-water improvements continues to put water quality and the public’s health at risk, the agency said.

Similarly, the pace of delivery of essential improvements in waste-water treatment is too slow to bring all deficient systems up to standard.

“The environmental problems Ireland faces can only be addressed if citizens and stakeholders are engaged and empowered,” the director general said.

“We place a high value and sense of urgency on this engagement to foster a greater understanding, a genuine sense of ownership and hope for the future. Indeed, we were encouraged by the survey findings that 73% of people have made changes or taken steps to help the environment.”