The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has today (Tuesday, January 27) published Northern Ireland’s first Annual Progress Report on the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP).
The report provides the first assessment of what has been achieved by the department since Northern Ireland’s first EIP was launched in September 2024.
The EIP is structured around six Strategic Environmental Outcomes (SEOs):
- Excellent air, water and land quality;
- Healthy and accessible landscapes everyone can connect with and enjoy;
- Thriving, resilient and connected nature and wildlife;
- Sustainable production and consumption on land and at sea;
- Zero waste and highly developed circular economy;
- Net zero GHG emissions and improved climate resilience and adaptability.
The report demonstrates progress across all six SEOs, while acknowledging the scale of the challenge and the need for accelerated action to meet a number of commitments.
Environmental improvements
According to DAERA, delivery in the first year has included strengthened environmental monitoring through the introduction of the Outcome Indicator Framework.
It provides a consistent and transparent means of monitoring environmental change across all six SEOs for the first time, which will allow for comparison of progress in future years.
Other significant achievements include publishing the Third Cycle River Basin Management Plan and improvements in marine protection, with 38% of inshore waters now designated as Marine Protected Areas.
Nature restoration in the form of 453ha of peatland and over 500ha of new woodland has also added to the progress made over the past year.
Legislation was introduced in December 2024 for Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility, which aims to reduce the volume of packaging placed on the market alongside increasing the quantity of recycled packaging.
Northern Ireland has also continued to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with 2023 emissions falling by 7.1% compared with 2022, bringing overall emissions to 31.5% below 1990 levels, according to the progress report.
While significant strides have been made, several challenges remain to be addressed. Water quality continues to be impacted by nutrient pressures and underinvestment in wastewater infrastructure, while biodiversity recovery is not yet progressing at the speed required.
These challenges reflect long‑standing pressures on the environment and underline the need for sustained investment, coordinated action and long‑term recovery planning.
DAERA Minister Andrew Muir said: “Publication of Northern Ireland’s first ever Environmental Improvement Plan in September 2024 was an important milestone.
“…the publication of our first Annual Progress Report demonstrates that progress has been made across many areas, but it also makes clear that serious challenges remain and there is work still to be done.
“Our ambition is clear, and with the right policy landscape, we can be the stewards our environment clearly needs.
“However, real and lasting improvement will require more resource and funding, stronger environmental governance, as well as improved collaboration across government, industry, communities and wider society.
OEP
Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) chief scientist, Prof. Robbie McDonald said: “We welcome publication of DAERA’s first Annual Progress Report (APR) on delivery of the Executive’s Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP).
“Nature in Northern Ireland is under unsustainable pressure. We came to that conclusion with our report on the pressures and drivers impacting on biodiversity, and DAERA has said the same thing in its draft Nature Recovery Strategy just last week.
“Urgent action is needed, and the EIP is the driver for that action to happen.
“The APR now published sets out what has already been achieved in a clear and transparent way.”
The OEP has said that today’s report is a significant contribution to scrutiny and accountability.
“The report is nevertheless clear on the challenges ahead and is candid about delays and future plans,” McDonald added.
“We welcome the recognition that the pace and scale of activity must increase, and that effective delivery of the plan, actually putting it into action, is of utmost importance now.
“The APR is also clear that this must involve all sectors.
“One of the OEP’s core duties is to provide independent assessment of progress against the EIP, which we must do within six months of the APR being published.”
The OEP said it intends to publish its assessment towards the end of June, 2026.
