NI’s first Environmental Improvement Plan is an important framework for protecting the environment - Muir

Date published: 27 September 2024

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has welcomed the Executive’s approval of Northern Ireland’s Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) which will act as our 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:

  1. Excellent air, water and land quality;
  2. A healthy and accessible environment and landscapes everyone can connect with and enjoy;
  3. Thriving, resilient and connected nature and wildlife;
  4. Sustainable production and consumption on land and at sea;
  5. Zero waste and a highly developed circular economy, and
  6. 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.

Environmental Improvement Plan.

Notes to editors: 

  1. The Environment Act 2021, requires an EIP to be published by 25 July 2023 but this could not be met due to the absence of Ministers at the time.
  2. The Act defines an EIP as a plan for significantly improving the natural environment and requires DAERA and other NI departments to set out the steps they intend to take to improve the natural environment (and people’s enjoyment of that environment).
  3. The EIP is an overarching document setting out Northern Ireland’s environmental priorities and includes a mix of both existing and new environmental objectives, targets and actions for DAERA and other departments with a role in improving the environment.
  4. A public consultation was launched at COP26 on the draft EIP and received over 2,500 responses.
  5. DAERA is also currently in the process of producing a number of other key strategies and policies on significant matters such as clean air, peatlands and nature recovery. These policy specific strategies will deliver more detail in relation to key targets and actions, and these in turn will be reflected in future revisions of the EIP.
  6. The EIP is a statutory obligation arising from the Environment Act 2021, enacted in part as a result of EU Exit and resulting impact in terms of environmental governance with the Office of Environmental Protection having oversight of progress in implementing the EIP.
  7. Follow DAERA on X formerly called Twitter and Facebook.
  8. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office: pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk or telephone: 028 9016 3460.
  9. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours’ service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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