It is now clear to all that some of the development in Ireland over the past 10 years was poorly planned and was totally unsustainable. There is talk of some housing estates having to be demolished entirely with the land reverting to agricultural use and so-called zombie hotels are endangering the entire hotel industry. However, the adverse effects of our recent development on biodiversity are not so clear as these effects are not immediately obvious and manifest themselves over time. Unfortunately, unlike the housing estates, damage to biodiversity cannot be easily reversed.
Referring back to one of our blogs in May the UN’s Global Biodiversity – Outlook 3 report concluded that; ‘The action taken over the next decade or two, and the direction charted under the Convention on Biological Diversity, will determine whether the relatively stable environmental conditions on which human civilization has depended for the past 10,000 years will continue beyond this century. If we fail to use this opportunity, many ecosystems on the planet will move into new, unprecedented states in which the capacity to provide for the needs of present and future.’
The Sustainable Development Council (Comhar SDC) has been examining ways in which biodiversity can be fully integrated into Ireland’s development policy and has produced a number of relevant and useful publications on the topic. In September 2009 they produced A Green New Deal for Ireland that highlights the need to realign policy with overarching sustainable development goals at all levels of society. The document envisages an economy that is clean, clever and competitive and an economic strategy where growth and competitiveness are a means to an end rather than the overriding objectives themselves.
Comhar SDC defined the Green New Deal as aiming to
•Revive the Irish economy and create job opportunities through building an innovative, low carbon and resource efficient society.
•Protect ecosystems and biodiversity while reducing fossil fuel dependency.
•Provide for greater social inclusion through stimulating new green jobs, reducing fuel poverty and delivering better access to transport.
•Build ecological resilience and capacity to adapt to climate change.
Developing the ecosystem protection theme, Comhar SDC have recently published a new report entitled Creating Green Infrastructure for Ireland – Enhancing Natural Capital for Human Wellbeing. Their working definition was as follows;
‘Green Infrastructure is a strategically planned and managed network featuring areas with high quality biodiversity (uplands, wetlands, peatlands, rivers and coast), farmed and wooded lands and other green spaces that conserve ecosystem values which provide essential services to society.’
The essential message in the document is that we can halt the loss of biodiversity and reverse the decline in ecosystem services if their value to society is recognised in the planning and decision-making processes of business and Government. The report contains a number of recommendations, prioritised into different phases and can be accessed on the Comhar SDC website at http://www.comharsdc.ie/_files/Comhar%20Green%20infrastructure%20report%20final.pdf
Comments
Post has no comments.