The European Environment Agency (EEA)'s "State of the European Environment Report" points out that Ireland's natural environment is in a "very poor" state, and its economic growth is achieved at the expense of the environment.
The report also criticized Ireland's poor natural water quality, continuous increase in waste, and excessive dependence on fossil fuels. Although the usage of public transportation has increased, there is still an excessive reliance on cars, and the current agricultural and food production models are too intensive and not environmentally sustainable.
The EEA's conclusion on Ireland has weakened the country's perceived green image. The report is compiled by the EEA every five years, which is responsible for monitoring the situation of the 27 member states of the European Union and 11 neighboring countries.
The report points out that the assessment of the natural environment is extremely poor, with 85% of Ireland's protected habitats and nearly one-third of protected animal and plant species in a disadvantaged state. More than half of the local plant species are decreasing, and the conservation status of over 50 bird species is worrying. The water quality has also been assessed as' poor ', with no improvement in the condition of rivers and lakes over the past five years. Agriculture, forestry, urban sewage discharge, and human impact on water flow and riverbanks are the main pressures it faces.
The report states that the Irish economy is essentially still developing linearly, characterized by excessive material consumption, increasing waste volume, and dependence on waste exports.
The EEA acknowledges that Ireland has achieved significant growth in a relatively short period of time, with a population increase of 2 million in 50 years. At the same time, both the country and the economy are thriving and developing. But this success is highly dependent on environmental resources.
In recent progress reports, Ireland ranks last among EU member states in terms of environmental spending. The average expenditure level of the European Union is 2.2% of GDP, while Ireland's is only 0.9%.
