The Climate Change Advisory Council has said that Government must urgently strengthen planning processes to prevent further biodiversity loss and embed nature-based solutions in the design and delivery of all future infrastructure developments.

In its Annual Review of biodiversity, published today, the Council has called on Government to issue national guidance and enact specific regulations to better integrate biodiversity into the planning system. This should include the use of nature-inclusive infrastructure design, the creation of biodiversity corridors, and the restoration of nature-friendly habitats in all new developments.

Within the report the Council called out the growing risk to biodiversity and ecosystems from the increased impacts of climate change. It warned that Ireland is falling far short of its international conservation commitments, with only 14.4% of land and just under 10% of marine areas under formal protection, far below the 30% target set for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework. More ambitious biodiversity conservation and restoration measures are needed in and outside protected areas.

Ireland’s peatlands are at considerable risk with only 25% in a healthy condition and require ambitious targets to be set for 2030, 2040, and 2050, and restoration measures to help capture significant volumes of carbon, support flood mitigation, and enhance water quality.

Limited resourcing for biodiversity across departments and agencies remains a concern for the Council, with an estimated annual investment gap of €700 million. This is compounded by the Government’s inaction to prioritise a dedicated allocation for biodiversity conservation and restoration measures within the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund.

Commenting on the challenges facing the biodiversity sector, Prof. Yvonne Buckley, Climate Change Advisory Council member, said: “Government’s failure to tackle biodiversity loss is having a detrimental impact on Ireland’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and its resilience to extreme weather events.

“A key priority must be to incorporate nature-based solutions and biodiversity enhancement measures into new developments. This is good for our climate, good for biodiversity and good for people. By ensuring that our infrastructure provides green and blue spaces we can increase well-being and make our communities better places to live.

“The Council welcomes the establishment of an independent advisory committee and related working groups for the development of the National Nature Restoration Plan. This must be reinforced by committed investment to enhance and protect biodiversity that is supported by a significant increase in biodiversity-related human resources capacity across all of Government.”

The Council also highlighted the growing threat to native biodiversity from invasive species, with the recent identification of Asian Hornets in Cork and Dublin as a sign of accelerating ecological risk. To address this it has recommended that National Parks and Wildlife Service deliver the long-overdue National Invasive Species Management Plan before the end of the year, with targeted actions to monitor and manage species of concern.

“Climate change is making Ireland more hospitable to invasive species due to milder winters and warmer summers,” said Prof. Buckley. “These risks, identified as substantial by 2050 and critical by 2100 in the National Climate Change Risk Assessment, highlight the urgent need to strengthen our surveillance, control, and management systems.”

Concluding Prof Buckley said, “Biodiversity is not just protecting nature, it’s about supporting climate resilience and making our communities more pleasant places to live. If the Government is serious about climate action, then it must invest in supporting biodiversity.”

To read the full report see Annual Review 2025 - Biodiversity.