Climate council criticises failure to invest in nature to protect against extreme weather

The Climate Change Advisory Council has criticised the Government for a failure to invest in nature that would protect people and property from extreme weather . The Government’s independent climate watchdog said it was disappointed that no money was allocated for the country’s Nature Restoration Plan in last month’s budget or from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund that has been in place since 2024. The council said work was urgently needed to restore flood plains and peatlands to soak up extreme rain and save communities from flooding.

The council is calling for more green spaces and trees in urban areas to provide shade and cooling in heatwaves. It wants coastal lands, dunes and salt marshes preserved and restored to protect against sea-level rise and storm surges. [ Climate disasters will force 1bn people to move from their homes by 2050, new report says Opens in new window ] Hedgerows must also be protected and expanded, the council says, and new native forestry planted to provide shelter, stop land drying out and eroding, and better withstand wildfires and diseases.

“More biodiverse landscapes, greater deployment of nature-based measures and the restoration of habitats are urgently needed to increase climate resilience,” it said. Healthy soils, vegetation and oceans also absorb and store the carbon dioxide emissions that are driving temperature rise and climate change , it pointed out. The council said there was a strong economic case for investment, with benefits outweighing cost almost sixfold. “The draft Nature Restoration Plan estimates that ecosystem restoration and re-establishment will cost just under €5.8 billion over the period 2024–2050, with an uncertainty range of €2.6 billion to €11 billion,” it said.

“The socioeconomic benefits of the restoration and re-establishment are estimated to be €32.9 billion, with an uncertainty range of €16.9 billion to €45.7 billion.” Council member, Prof Yvonne Buckley, said the scale of the problem was clear, with 90 per cent of protected natural habitats in Ireland found to be unhealthy in the most recent assessment published last year. “We know how serious the problem is, yet we still haven’t committed the long-term funding needed to turn things around,” she said.

“There is a clear business case for this investment into biodiversity and nature restoration efforts. “Without functioning and restored ecosystems, Ireland will suffer economically, ecologically and socially. “Nature is critical infrastructure that helps us to achieve our climate mitigation and adaptation targets with many co-benefits. It is not an optional extra.” The council is calling on the Government to commit long-term, multiannual funding to nature restoration so that projects do not face stop-start financing and year-to-year uncertainty. [ ‘Grand Canyon-esque’: Atlas of the unseen brings Ireland’s deep sea wonders into the light Opens in new window ] It urges the devising of a strategy to get private business and industry to put money into conservation and restoration.

It also says a specific funding stream should be created for landowners to deploy nature restoration, with priority locations identified and plans drawn up for them by early 2028. Another recommendation is for the Government to map existing green space and canopy cover in urban areas by autumn 2027 to inform a long-term greening and tree-planting strategy. The council also says there is a skills gap with a lack of expertise for biodiversity-related jobs and asks that they be added to the Critical Skills Occupations list that provides priority work visas for suitably skilled professionals from abroad.

The council’s report comes just days after the Cop17 global biodiversity summit concluded in Yerevan, Armenia, where almost all of the world’s countries pledged to accelerate action to halt and reverse the loss of nature globally. Minister for Nature Christopher O’Sullivan, who led the Irish delegation, said he was working with Cabinet colleagues on the creation of a dedicated Nature Restoration Fund and hoped to have details before the end of the year.