Gormley Wants Feedback On Biodiversity Plan

The production of a national biodiversity plan is an obligation for all parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which Ireland ratified in 1996. 

This Convention has the widest scope of the international environmental agreements concerning nature and biodiversity, with 189 countries and the European Union, having ratified the agreement.  All parties to the Convention have committed to working towards the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and achieving a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. Ireland produced its first plan in 2002, and the new plan will set out a programme of work for the five-year period 2008-2012. 

In announcing the public consultation, the Minister commented:  "biodiversity is important to all of us. It sustains key economic activity such as forestry, agriculture and fisheries.   Moreover, Ireland's natural environment is a key attraction for overseas visitors and critical for our tourism industry.  Biodiversity provides us with jobs and a greater quality of life and securing its conservation and sustainable use will involve a programme of work that far broader than traditional nature conservation activities". 

In December, the Minister launched biodiversity guidelines for the Construction, Tourism and Business sectors as part of his Departments 'Notice Nature' public awareness campaign. 

He said that he would be looking to increase the involvement of the private sector in the forthcoming Plan. 

The new biodiversity plan will also be considering the impacts of climate change.  The Minister noted the close linkage between biodiversity and climate change stating,  "The destruction of global biodiversity, notably the rainforests, is one of the biggest contributors to increased CO2 emissions.  Climate change, if not tackled will pose a serious risk to Ireland's native biodiversity, including many of our plant and bird species".