Category: Sustainability and Nature

Wildlife Ireland encompasses a distinctive but relatively small community of native species, shaped by the country’s island geography, Atlantic climate and post-glacial history. With around 30 native land mammal species, just one native reptile, two native amphibians and approximately 200 breeding bird species, Ireland’s fauna is less diverse than that of continental Europe – but what it lacks in numbers,…

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Marine conservation Ireland has emerged as one of the country’s most urgent environmental priorities. Ireland’s maritime territory covers approximately 880,000 square kilometres of seabed – roughly ten times the land area – making it one of the largest maritime jurisdictions in Europe. Yet for decades, marine conservation has received a fraction of the attention and resources devoted to terrestrial habitats.…

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Invasive species Ireland represents one of the most significant but under-discussed threats to the country’s native habitats. Ireland has hundreds of established non-native species, dozens of which are classified as invasive – meaning they spread aggressively and cause ecological or economic harm. From Japanese knotweed damaging foundations to grey squirrels displacing reds and rhododendron smothering native woodland, these species collectively…

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Rewilding Ireland has gone from a fringe concept to one of the most discussed ideas in Irish conservation in the space of a decade. The term covers a spectrum of approaches – from restoring natural processes on degraded land to reintroducing species that were hunted to extinction centuries ago – and it generates strong reactions from farming communities, conservationists and…

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Native woodlands Ireland is a story of dramatic loss and cautious recovery. Ireland has one of the lowest rates of native forest cover in Europe. While total forest cover stands at approximately 11% of the land area – around 770,000 hectares – native and long-established woodland accounts for only about 2%, roughly 140,000 hectares. The rest is overwhelmingly commercial plantation,…

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Peatlands Ireland covers a subject of enormous environmental significance. Peatlands blanket approximately 20% of the island, making Ireland one of the most peat-rich countries in Europe relative to its size. Yet an estimated 80% of these ecosystems are degraded – drained, cut, planted with conifers or otherwise damaged by centuries of human activity. That degradation has turned what should be…

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Water quality Ireland is a growing concern, with the latest EPA assessment confirming that almost half of the country’s surface waters are not meeting environmental standards. The Water Quality in Ireland 2019-2024 report, published in October 2025, found that just 52% of rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters are in satisfactory ecological condition – down from 54% in the previous…

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Ireland is an island of extraordinary natural beauty – from the wild Atlantic coastline to the ancient blanket bogs of the west, from limestone karst landscapes to ancient oak woodlands. Yet beneath this scenic surface, the story of biodiversity Ireland tells is one of serious and sustained decline. Habitats are degrading, species are disappearing, and the ecosystems that underpin human…

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