National Biodiversity Action Plan

Ireland’s 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) sets the national biodiversity agenda for the period 2023-2030 and aims to deliver the transformative changes required to the ways in which we value and protect nature. The 4th NBAP has been developed with the support, advice and input of the interdepartmental Biodiversity Working Group and the independent Biodiversity Forum. Ireland’s 2nd National Biodiversity Conference was held to gather insights and recommendations for the development of the NBAP and a public consultation process was held to provide further opportunities to engage with the Plan.

The 4th NBAP strives for a “whole of government, whole of society” approach to the governance and conservation of biodiversity. The aim is to ensure that every citizen, community, business, local authority, semi-state and state agency has an awareness of biodiversity and its importance, and of the implications of its loss, while also understanding how they can act to address the biodiversity emergency as part of a renewed national effort to “act for nature”.

This National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2030 builds upon the achievements of the previous Plan. It will continue to implement actions within the framework of five strategic objectives, while addressing new and emerging issues:

  • Objective 1 - Adopt a Whole of Government, Whole of Society Approach to Biodiversity   
  • Objective 2 - Meet Urgent Conservation and Restoration Needs
  • Objective 3 - Secure Nature’s Contribution to People
  • Objective 4 - Enhance the Evidence Base for Action on Biodiversity
  • Objective 5 - Strengthen Ireland’s Contribution to International Biodiversity Initiatives

The Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2023 introduced a new public sector duty on biodiversity. The legislation provides that every public body, as listed in the Act, is obliged to have regard to the objectives and targets in the National Biodiversity Action Plan. See https://www.npws.ie/legislation  for further details.

 

Previous Plans

Ireland’s 3rd National Biodiversity Action Plan English 

Ireland’s 3rd National Biodiversity Action Plan Irish

An Interim Review of the Implementation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017 -2021 was published in February 2020.

A Final Review of Implementation of National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017 -2021 was published in November 2023.

An interim review of implementation of the second Plan was completed in December 2014 and published in January 2015.

A public consultation was held on this new third plan from December 2016 to February 2017.

Ireland's first National Biodiversity Plan PDF_icon   [3.4MB] was launched in April 2002.

An Interim Review of the National Biodiversity Plan PDF_icon [1.78MB] was launched in November 2005. This review outlines the level of progress made in implementing the first National Biodiversity Plan and identified the areas where further efforts were required.
 
Much of Ireland's National Biodiversity Plan is legislated for by the Wildlife Act, 1976, as amended by the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000.

Irelands Fourth National Report to the CBD  PDF_icon [888KB], which was submitted in 2010, outlines the measures which it has taken for the implementation of the provisions of the Convention. National reports provide an important source of information for review and decision-making processes for parties under the Convention on Biological Diversity.  National reports for all signatory states are available from http://www.cbd.int/countries/.

 

Plant Conservation

A National Strategy for Plant Conservation in Ireland has been developed as a response to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2002. The 16 targets that had been developed from the GSPC were adopted following stakeholder meetings on records, important areas of plant diversity, invasive alien species, and public awareness.

 

Invasive Species

Action 28 of The National Biodiversity Plan requires Ireland to prepare strategies, in consultation with Northern Ireland, to control introduced species and to prevent, or minimise, future (accidental or deliberate) introduction of alien species, which might threaten biodiversity. A report identifying key actions advised is available the Invasive Species In Ireland PDF_icon [708KB].