Category: News

Ireland and Europe stand at the cusp of a new era for nature

New poll shows strong public support for Government action and funding: 

• 3 in 4 think the Government should fund nature restoration
• 8 in 10 think Government should lead the way on state owned lands
• 9 in 10 say Government should support farmers, fishermen and foresters to restore nature.

The EU Nature Restoration Regulation is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a difference for nature and turn the tide on biodiversity depletion across the continent, a major event in Dublin will hear on Wednesday 16th.

“Restoring Nature for the Benefit of All” is an Associated Event of the Irish EU Presidency organised by the Irish Environmental Network with the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Birdlife EU, WWF EU, and ClientEarth. Directors from national nature agencies across the EU are meeting in Ireland this week as part of the Presidency. 

The event will be opened by Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan, who faces the challenge of securing funding in the upcoming Budget for the ambitious Nature Restoration Plan the Government has just submitted to the European Commission.

Speaking before the event Caroline Heinzel, Nature Policy Officer at the European Environmental Bureau said: 

“More than 80% of protected habitats in Europe are in poor condition and urgent action is required to halt biodiversity loss. The Nature Restoration Law is the most important piece of biodiversity legislation to come out of Europe in thirty years and is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a difference for nature.”

Karen Ciesieski, CEO of the Irish Environmental Network said: 

“Ireland is facing a nature and biodiversity crisis – 90% of Ireland’s protected habitats are in ‘unfavourable’ conservation status, with around half showing deteriorating trends. We urgently need to change direction on nature depletion and biodiversity loss and the Nature Restoration Plan provides us with the opportunity. Political leadership, especially the mobilisation of dedicated long-term financial support, will be critical to making nature restoration a reality.”

Polling by Ireland Thinks, commissioned by the Irish Environmental Network, shows strong support for the practical proposals agreed by representatives of farmers, fishers, foresters, academics and environmentalists in a process chaired by Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin. Three in four people think the Government should fund nature restoration. Eight in 10 think the Government should lead the way by restoring nature on state owned lands as a priority. And nine in 10 people say the Government should support farmers, fishermen and foresters to restore nature.

Karen Ciesielski added:

“At a time when healthy and resilient ecosystems are increasingly needed to strengthen Europe’s capacity to deal with the intertwined biodiversity, pollution and climate crises, effective implementation of the NRR provides a unique opportunity to bring nature back to the benefit of people, communities and economies.

“The first step is for the Irish Government to put its money where its mouth is in next month’s Bugdet. We’re counting on Minister O’Sullivan to deliver on his stated commitment to ensuring funding restoration.”

Speaking in June, Minister O’Sullivan said:

“Delivering on the Nature Restoration Law is my top priority as Minister for Nature. I am currently working with colleagues across Government to put the necessary resources and supports in place so that Ireland is ready to grasp this once-in-a-generation opportunity and ensure we can all share in the benefits of a healthy, thriving natural environment.”

ENDS

Notes

Restoring Nature for the Benefit of All
Implementation of the Nature Restoration Regulation

When: 16 September 2026, 5pm – 7pm, followed by a networking reception

Where: Europe House, 5 Balfe Street, D02 E7K4

Programme

16:30	Welcome coffee and registration
17:00	Introductory remarks by Karen Ciesielski, CEO, Irish Environmental Network
17:10	Keynote by Christopher O’Sullivan TD, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity
17:25	“#RestoreNature: turning NRPs into action – a civil society perspective” – Codruta Savu, Nature Policy Officer at WWF EPO, #RestoreNature coalition
17:35	“Making rewilding a viable income option – the best way to reverse nature loss” – Eoghan Dalton, author of An Irish Atlantic Rainforest and Setting the Land Free
17:55	Panel discussion: What will make National Restoration Plans deliver on the ground?Moderator: Ella McSweeney, journalist and broadcasterAndrea Vettori, Head of Nature Conservation, European CommissionDr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, Chair of the Independent Advisory Committee on Nature Restoration, IrelandEng. Nuno Banza, President of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, PortugalDelphine Dupeux, Director of EU Biodiversity Policy, European Landowners’ Organization.Caroline Heinzel, Policy Officer for Nature, European Environmental Bureau
18:55	Closing
19:00	Networking reception

Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL) and the Irish Environmental Network (IEN) are delighted to announce the launch of the €772,593 CORE (Cross-border Opportunities for a Resilient Environment) project, a major cross-border initiative supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Led by IEN in partnership with NIEL, CORE is 100% funded by PEACEPLUS, the cross-border funding stream designed to advance peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland and along the border counties.

Though the island of Ireland is a single biogeographic unit with shared landscapes, water sources, flora, and fauna, Brexit introduced some barriers to effective collaboration between environmental NGOs on both sides of the border.

The CORE project seeks to minimise some of these barriers, strengthening capacity within the sector, and improving knowledge. The project will offer:

·        Training to environmental NGOs, strengthening areas such as leadership, funding support, community engagement and advocacy

·        Facilitation of strategic cross-border partnerships between environmental NGOs, enabling them to learn from each other

·        Support for a series of pilot projects

·        The establishment of a mentoring programme

Through the programme, a funding guide for NGOs, and an online knowledge sharing hub, will be created.

PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.

The CORE project launch event in Carlingford was attended by funders, environmental NGOs, public bodies, researchers, and community groups, from both sides of the border.

Speakers at the event included John Smith from the Department for Communities, SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre, NIEL CEO Max Bryant, and IEN CEO Karen Ciesielski, as well as a video message from Jerry Buttimer TD (Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht).

The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, and Minister of State with Responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer TD, welcomed the announcement. 

Minister Calleary said: “I would like to convey my sincere appreciation to everyone who has helped the CORE project progress. It is heartening to know that this wonderful project will continue to be supported by my Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, in cooperation with the Special EU Programmes Body and the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.”

Minister Buttimer added: “Through cooperative efforts, the Institutional Capacity Development Programme guarantees that issues pertaining to leadership and trust are supported. The goal is to increase organisations’ ability to create innovative service delivery models that promote harmony and peace.”  

SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: “We are delighted to support projects that bring organisations together around common interests and shared goals. The environmental sector has a long history of working collaboratively, often bringing people into constructive dialogue through local action and community engagement.

“By strengthening leadership, improving governance structures, developing networks and encouraging innovation, the CORE project will leave a lasting legacy within the organisations involved and it aligns strongly with the wider objectives of PEACEPLUS and ensure that the environmental sector is better prepared for the future.”

NIEL CEO Max Bryant said: “We are thrilled to launch the CORE Project, in partnership with colleagues at the Irish Environmental Network. By building on extensive consultation throughout the environmental sector across the island of Ireland, the project will support NGOs by increasing capacity and leadership skills, enabling the development of stronger, more resilient, more well governed organisations. In helping organisations develop through training, partnerships and mentoring, the CORE Project aims to help the environmental sector go from strength to strength. We are overjoyed to see the project launched, and we look forward to working together with our colleagues to ensure its success.”
IEN CEO Karen Ciesielski added: “We are delighted to partner with our colleagues at NIEL on the CORE project. Cross-border collaboration is vital in the environmental sector. The CORE project was developed through many years of collaboration between the IEN and NIEL, to understand the need to expand capacity within non-governmental organisations. We are grateful to SEUPB for funding this essential initiative through PEACEPLUS, and will look forward to working together across both jurisdictions, supporting cross-border working across the island, and strengthening the sector as a whole.”

ENDS

Note to editors:

1.   Northern Ireland Environment Link

Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL) is the forum and networking body for organisations interested in the environment of Northern Ireland. It assists members to develop views on issues affecting the environment and to inform and influence policy and practice impacting on the natural and built environment of Northern Ireland.

Our Full Members (environmental NGOs) represent 190,000 individuals, attract 1.5m visitors per annum and have an annual turnover of over £65 million in NI. NIEL also has 71 NGO, Associate, Corporate and Individual Supporters with an interest in the environment.

Northern Ireland Environment Link’s Vision is for ‘a valued, resilient, healthy environment’.

For more information, visit the NIEL website

2.   Irish Environmental Network

The Irish Environmental Network is a network of national environmental non-government organisations (NGOs). Members work both individually and together to protect and enhance the environment, and to place environmental issues centre stage in Ireland and internationally.

The IEN works to promote the principles of environmental, social and economic sustainability. When representing the environment, members speak for the common good rather than self-interest.

As a network, the IEN is greater than the sum of its parts. Working together, we develop synergies through sharing knowledge, skills, strengths, and experience. The network acts on behalf of its members to secure core and other funding for their activities.

For more information, visit the IEN website

3.   PEACEPLUS

The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) is a North South Body with the statutory remit for managing EU funding programmes within Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.

PEACEPLUS is a cross-border funding Programme designed to support peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. The total value of PEACEPLUS is €1.14 billion.

PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.

For more information, visit the SEUPB website

4. Left to right in the photo are: 

Karen Ciesielski, CEO of Irish Environmental Network; Liam Caffrey, Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht; Gina McIntyre, CEO of SEUPB; John Smith, Deputy Secretary for the Communities, Place, and Local Government Group in Department for Communities, NI; Max Bryant, CEO at Northern Ireland Environment Link. 

Photo credit: Aaron Stork Photography 

189 organisations across Europe have signed our joint letter urging the European Commission to develop an independent, science-based roadmap toward a definitive exit from fossil fuel dependence. 

Signatories comprise environmental and social civil-society organisations and networks, city networks, consumer protection organisations as well as companies and industry associations.

https://www.ien.ie/app/uploads/2026/08/SOTEU-2026_final-VNA-letter.pdf

Photo by Laureen Raftopulos

Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL), in partnership with the Irish Environmental Network (IEN), invites you to tender for key aspects of the Collaborative Horizons for All-Island Nature and Governance Enhancement (CHANGE) project.

CHANGE is a major cross-border initiative supported by almost €1.8 million in PEACEPLUS funding, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The project aims to strengthen environmental governance and cooperation in response to increasing regulatory divergence and shared environmental challenges in a post-Brexit context.

NIEL currently has four Requests for Quotes (RFQs) advertised on its website under the CHANGE project. 

Key Dates:

• Clarification deadline: Please get in touch by 28.08.26.
• Application deadline: 04.09.26.
• Contract award and commencement: Contracts are expected to be awarded and commence on 16.09.26.

Please visit the NIEL website for more information about the project and the RFQs currently advertised: CHANGE Project – NI Environment Link.

Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL) and the Irish Environmental Network (IEN) are delighted to announce the launch of the CHANGE (Collaborative Horizons for All-Island Nature and Governance Enhancement) project, a major cross-border initiative supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

The CHANGE project brings together environmental NGOs, public bodies and researchers from both sides of the border to better understand shared environmental challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater quality, and marine protection, and to co-develop practical, evidence-based solutions and strategies to address them.
PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.

The island of Ireland is a single biogeographic unit with shared landscapes, water sources, flora, and fauna. In the midst of a climate and biodiversity crisis, both jurisdictions face similar challenges in responding effectively. Protecting this common environment depends on coherent policymaking, strong standards, regulations, and enforcement on both sides of the border. Increasing cross-border cooperation provides a real opportunity to improve environmental outcomes on an all-island basis.

Through developing practical, evidence-based solutions, strategic action plans and data-sharing, CHANGE aims to support strengthened cross-border environmental governance and resilience, enabling more coordinated responses to pressing environmental challenges.

The CHANGE project launch event in Newry was attended by environmental NGOs, public bodies, researchers, and community groups from both sides of the border. Speakers at the launch included Minister of State for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment Frank Feighan TD, SEUPB Director of Corporate Services Paul Sheridan, NIEL CEO Max Bryant, and IEN CEO Karen Ciesielski. The event also featured a video message from Minister of Finance John O’Dowd.

Minister of Finance John O’Dowd MLA said: “I welcome the launch of the PEACEPLUS-funded CHANGE project. This initiative is a strong example of collaborative working. It will support solutions to shared environmental challenges and enhance institutional cooperation. The partnership provides an important North-South and an East-West dimension, ensuring that learning can be shared and integrated. I wish all involved every success with the project.”

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Jack Chambers TD said: “I am very pleased that the CHANGE project has been funded under the EU PEACEPLUS programme. This is an ambitious initiative that is responding to environmental governance challenges on a cross-border basis. The CHANGE project has an inclusive and evidence led approach at its core, promoting cooperation and building institutional capacity. My congratulations to all the project partners.”

Minister of State for Public Procurement, Digitalisation, and eGovernment, Frank Feighan TD added: “The CHANGE project is bringing together experienced project partners to promote cooperation in environmental governance across the island. This EU PEACEPLUS-funded project recognises the opportunities and synergies that can be achieved through coordinated cross-border partnership and collaboration. I look forward to seeing the outputs of this important project.”

SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: “The work between these two agencies reflects a clear and shared understanding of the environmental challenges we face across the island of Ireland and the need to address them together.

“Supported through PEACEPLUS, the CHANGE project recognises that effective environmental governance depends on cooperation. It relies on trust between institutions, openness in sharing knowledge, and the involvement of communities. It also requires persistence, as meaningful change takes time and careful work. Projects such as CHANGE show how that cooperation can be organised, supported and put into practice.”

NIEL CEO Max Bryant said: “NIEL is proud to launch the CHANGE project at a critical moment for our climate and natural environment. As pressures on biodiversity, ecosystems, and energy resilience increase, cross-border collaboration has never been more important. The island of Ireland is a single biogeographic area, and challenges such as climate change, invasive species, and environmental degradation do not respect borders. By working together and sharing knowledge, we can develop more effective, coordinated solutions that benefit communities and nature both North and South.”

IEN CEO Karen Ciesielski added: “Cross-border collaboration in the environmental NGO sector is vital. The Irish Environmental Network is delighted to partner with NIEL on the CHANGE project. Both organisations have been working together for a number of years on the promotion of better cross-border cooperation on the environment and to identify all-island policy and practical solutions to shared environmental challenges. We are very grateful to SEUPB for funding this initiative, which allows us to take this work to the next level. By working together, sharing expertise, and engaging stakeholders across both jurisdictions, we can strengthen environmental governance, improve outcomes, and support sustainable, evidence-based decision-making across the island.”

The CHANGE project represents a strategic step towards more effective cross-border environmental management, supporting national and EU priorities on sustainability, biodiversity protection, and climate action.

Note to editors:

1. Northern Ireland Environment Link

Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL) is the forum and networking body for organisations interested in the environment of Northern Ireland. It assists members to develop views on issues affecting the environment and to inform and influence policy and practice impacting on the natural and built environment of Northern Ireland.

Our Full Members (environmental NGOs) represent 190,000 individuals, attract 1.5m visitors per annum and have an annual turnover of over £65 million in NI. NIEL also has 71 NGO, Associate, Corporate and Individual Supporters with an interest in the environment.

Northern Ireland Environment Link’s Vision is for ‘a valued, resilient, healthy environment’.

For more information, visit the NIEL website

• Irish Environmental Network

The Irish Environmental Network is a network of national environmental non-government organisations (NGOs). Members work both individually and together to protect and enhance the environment, and to place environmental issues centre stage in Ireland and internationally.

The IEN works to promote the principles of environmental, social and economic sustainability. When representing the environment, members speak for the common good rather than self-interest.

As a network, the IEN is greater than the sum of its parts. Working together, we develop synergies through sharing knowledge, skills, strengths, and experience. The network acts on behalf of its members to secure core and other funding for their activities.

For more information, visit the IEN website

• PEACEPLUS

The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) is a North South Body with the statutory remit for managing EU funding programmes within Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.

PEACEPLUS is a cross-border funding Programme designed to support peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. The total value of PEACEPLUS is €1.14 billion.

PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.

For more information, visit the SEUPB website