DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has welcomed the Executive’s approval of Northern Ireland’s Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) which will act as their first Environment Strategy.
“I am glad that the Executive has agreed Northern Ireland’s first Environmental Improvement Plan. It provides a set of coherent and effective interventions and measures that can collectively deliver improvements in the quality of our environment,” explained Minister Muir.
“In doing so it will improve the health and well-being of all, create opportunities to develop our economy in an environmentally sustainable manner and enable us to play our part in protecting the global environment for years to come.
“In Northern Ireland we face a range of environmental challenges including habitat and species loss, greenhouse gas emissions, water, air and soil quality, developing a circular economy, waste management and more.
“The EIP, which is also intended to be our collective response to the global challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change, will be regularly reviewed and revised, as well as face independent scrutiny by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), to ensure that all NI departments are taking the necessary steps to improve our environment,” he continued.
DAERA’s officials have worked with key stakeholders, including other departments and external bodies, to develop six strategic objectives for the EIP with the understanding that a better environment can provide economic, social and health benefits for individuals and for society, and outline a pathway to realising these benefits.
The objectives are:
- Excellent air, water and land quality;
- A healthy and accessible environment and landscapes everyone can connect with and enjoy;
- Thriving, resilient and connected nature and wildlife;
- Sustainable production and consumption on land and at sea;
- Zero waste and a highly developed circular economy, and
- Net zero greenhouse gas emissions and improved climate resilience and adaptability.
Minister Muir said action must start now: “When it comes to the environment maintaining the status quo is not an option. We all have a collective responsibility to deliver the change urgently required, the EIP sets an important framework and baseline for action to protect our environment.”
