Environmental Pillar

IMMEDIATE RELEASE 30 May 2023 A coalition of leading environmental organisations are rallying together from across Ireland in a call for political leaders to support an ambitious Nature Restoration Law. At the Rally to Restore Nature, scientists, activists, community leaders and other members of society will demand that restoration of nature be placed at the […]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5 May 2023 The Environmental Pillar, an advocacy coalition of 32 environmental non-governmental organisations, is demanding that leaders in Government pause and re-evaluate their strategy on the proposed new Planning Bill1. Government must listen to and address the major concerns that have come forward from a diverse range of stakeholders on the delays, […]

The Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss issued a final report today with 159 recommendations on how Ireland can improve its response to the biodiversity crisis. The report underscores the serious and chronic failure by the State to adequately fund and enforce existing laws to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.  The 99 members of the Citizens’ […]

Dear Ministers,  We, the Environmental Pillar, Stop Climate Chaos and the Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) are strongly of the view that public land must be utilised in the public interest and that all public bodies must be mandated to lead in Ireland’s response to climate change and biodiversity loss. The Irish people should have a […]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE 16 February 2023 In a letter sent to Irish Ministers and other elected officials this week, the Environmental Pillar, Stop Climate Chaos Coalition and Sustainable Water Network called on the Government to amend mandates and legislation to ensure public bodies are fit to deliver on Ireland’s climate, biodiversity, and water objectives.  A lack […]

This is a submission on behalf of the Environmental Pillar in response to the public  consultation on Coillte’s strategic vision for its future forest estate. Our submission is informed by the decades of experience of our members who are actively involved in woodland conservation, sustainable forestry management, regulation of the forestry sector and wider environmental […]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE 27 January 2023 Deeply troubling changes to Ireland’s planning legislation have been proposed by the Government with the publication of the Draft Planning and Development Bill 2022. The bill makes fundamental changes to the current system of access to justice in the Planning and Development Act 2000. If passed, the Bill would drastically […]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE 15 December 2022 A report from the Environmental Pillar highlights that a new EU law could present a golden opportunity for Ireland to meet its national commitments for peatland restoration while investing in farm communities to protect peatlands.  The proposed Nature Restoration Law contains a range of actions and targets to cut greenhouse […]

To the Directors of PEFC International. I am writing to you on behalf of the Environmental Pillar, an organisation that works to represent the views of 32 of Ireland’s leading environmental NGOs. We work to promote environmental sustainability and the protection of our natural environment. We are the largest NGO stakeholder in the PEFC process, […]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE 13 December 2022 Today at cabinet the Government approved a new consolidated Planning Bill on foot of the review of the Attorney General of the Planning and Development Act1, with the changes to the Act to be advanced within the Oireachtas in the new year. The outline2 for this bill published today is raising […]