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This General Election campaign has featured lots of promises of tax cuts and big spending but little attention has been given to nature and the environment on the campaign trail.
We have listed some key asks for nature as well as updates on general election campaign tools from other environmental NGOS.
When candidates come knocking on your door asking for your vote it’s a great opportunity to remind them of the importance of nature protection and restoration in Ireland. With the Nature Restoration Law now passed it is a crucial time for action on nature and we need the next government to give nature the attention and funding it needs. Below are some suggested asks to raise on the doorstep. These asks are aligned with the Environmental Pillar’s general election manifesto. You can find info on the full manifesto below.
1. The creation of a ring fenced nature restoration fund to support nature restoration work throughout Ireland and help us deliver on our National Nature Restoration Plan.
2. Revise the legal mandates for key state agencies and public bodies such as Bord na Mona and Coillte to ensure they manage all the land they own in line with Nature Restoration Law obligations. There is huge potential for large-scale restoration of our native woodlands and peatlands if these agencies’ official mandate was to restore nature for the good of society.
3. Implement all the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. The assembly agreed on an ambitious list of forward thinking recommendations and we are asking the new government to implement these recommendations. You can see the Citizens Assembly report here as well as articles we have published on some of these recommendations here.
4. Enact the long overdue Marine Protected Area legislation as soon as possible. This will allow Ireland to increase its marine protected area designation to the level needed to restore our marine biodiversity.
5. Ban bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas and phase out of destructive fishing practices in all waters. Bottom trawling still occurs on most of our marine protected areas. This practice needs to stop to allow marine life to recover and thrive in our MPAs.
6. Create a dedicated Department for Environment, Nature, Heritage and Natural Resources with a senior cabinet minister who can speak for nature at the highest level in government.
We are proud members of the Irish Environmental Pillar. The asks above can be found alongside many more important ideas for our environment in the Environmental Pillars manifesto “Pathways to a Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Ireland”. It is well worth a read.
We encourage you to read them before you cast your vote to ensure you’re voting for candidates that consider nature!
Find the party manifestos below:
People Before Profit Manifesto
For further analysis, an independent study was conducted analysing the manifestos of the parties against the key asks of Friends of Earth. This study may be useful for you when considering your vote for this election. A summary of the results of the independent analysis is below.
Manifesto Scorecard. Friends of the Earth.
Find the General Election 2024 Manifesto Analysis for Faster and Fairer Climate Action here.