2022 was a busy year for nature, with many exciting NCI projects under way:

Our INCASE project to apply natural capital in Irish catchments is nearing its final phase with a full report due in 2023
We hosted the National Biodiversity Conference, launched the Business For Biodiversity Ireland platform (more news below) and gathered feedback to support the draft of the 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan - watch this space for updates.
We’ll keep tabs on several new natural capital projects in Ireland, including publicising the ForES project for sustainable forestry led by our co-founder Jane Stout.
Our new steering committee will begin work in the New Year (more news coming soon) and NCI hopes to bring together all those working in the natural capital approach in Ireland and all interested for in-person and online events in 2023.

Professor Jane Stout, a woman in a red dress, in a field of wildflowers

A Note For Nature: NCI co-founder Jane Stout appeared in Creative Ireland/Crossing the Line programme which aired on RTE One on St Stephen’s Day. In the above clip, Jane speaks about the importance of pollinators and her work with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. A ‘call to arms’ and celebration of wild Ireland featuring experts and musicians, the full show is available to watch on the RTE Player.

Business for Biodiversity Ireland Update

Man in suit and woman with lanyard smile in front of backdrop showing greenery and blue water

Lucy Gaffney of Business For Biodiversity Ireland was at CoP15 in Montreal, Canada, pictured above with Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan, of the Irish delegation. Ahead of the summit, Lucy issued articles on the importance of Global Biodiversity Framework targets for businesses to assess and disclose their impacts and dependencies on nature & redirect and reform harmful subsidies and incentives.

Lucy was quoted in this Irish Times article in relation to the swell of businesses getting behind the call for mandatory disclosure. Thankfully, there was good news on the final deal negotiated at Cop15 which mobilised finance for biodiversity and committed to eliminate harmful subsidies.
A collaboration incorporating natural capital into national accounts was announced by the US & Australian governments.

In 2022, Lucy also addressed the Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity Loss and co-hosted the European Business Nature Summit. BFBI will be busy early in 2023 bringing together a number of Irish businesses to pilot Communities of Practice to co-develop and support biodiversity actions in 2023.
Sign up to our BFBI newsletter to for more updates HERE.

The Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity Loss is to have one final meeting on January 23 before finalising its recommendations. In the meantime, read NCI's submission to the Assembly HERE

Read our pre-COP15 statement on why the natural capital approach would benefit the Global Biodiversity Framework targets HERE - the NCI view was also published in Agriland & Irish Tech News in December.

Policy Working Group

NCI’s policy working group led by Dr Emer Ní Dhúill made regular submissions to public consultations on environmental policy in Ireland (and to some EU & international consultations) where we felt the natural capital approach could be of benefit. If interested in joining our panel of experts to contribute to upcoming submissions, please get in touch. You can read more on our policy submission page.

Learn more

Events & Consultations

Consultation on the Irish Offshore Strategic Environmental Assessment 6

Deadline: Jan 13

Host: Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

Consultation FS007509 Rosslare Europort Offshore Wind Hub Site Investigations

Deadline: Jan 15

Host: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Public Consultation on a new Strategy Statement for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (Extended) Deadline: Jan 20

Host: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Public consultation on the EU Commissions proposal for a Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation

Deadline: Jan 20

Host: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

2023 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Champions Programme

Deadline: Jan 20

Host: Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

Bioeconomy Action Plan Consultation Deadline: Jan 27

Host: Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications; Dept of Agriculture, Food & the Marine

Consultation on developing an Electricity Storage Policy Framework for Ireland

Deadline: Jan 27

Host: Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

Public Consultation on the Management of Deer in Ireland

Deadline: Feb 10

Host: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

National Risk Assessment 2023 Consultation

Deadline: Feb 17

Host: Department of the Taoiseach

Call for abstracts - SER 2023

Deadline: Feb 23 Host: Society for Ecological Restoration (Date: Sept 26-30)

Natural Capital Investment 2023

Date: March 23 Host: Environmental Finance

View more on our events calendar here. Have an event to add? Contact us.

Have your say in the consultations on the NPWS Strategy & Bioeconomy Plan

The public are invited to submit their views on the shape of our National Parks & Wildlife Service via a consultation on the new NPWS strategy statement and encourage members to do the same by the extended deadline of January 20, submitting comments on what you think are the most important goals for NPWS to focus on from 2023-25. There's also a call-out to submit to the Bioeconomy Action Plan open until January 27.