INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Authors: Dr Viviane Gravey, Diane Ruddock and John McCallister

This Independent Review of Environmental Governance is published at a time when evidence is all around us that Northern Ireland’s environment is under mounting stress. From nature in decline to issues with air and water quality, combined with the challenges of our changing climate, the signals cannot be ignored. Nowhere is this more visible than in Lough Neagh, where repeated, extensive, blooms of blue-green algae have provided a stark message that the pressures on our environment are unsustainable. Lough Neagh has also amplified growing public concern about the environment and a strong desire for action, alongside frustration and a loss of confidence and trust in the current governance arrangements. The crisis in our environment is also a governance crisis, and thus governance reform is a critical part of the solution. We cannot continue with the status quo and expect different or better outcomes. We believe that now is the time for meaningful change – we heard this repeatedly from members of the public, those in regulated industries and others with expertise in environmental governance across these islands.