Summary: The environment is a strategic and valuable asset for Ireland which must be protected and proactively managed to ensure it forms the basis for a healthy society and our economic wellbeing.
There is growing acknowledgement internationally that our current production and consumption behaviours as well as our governance and development choices cannot be sustained without posing a significant threat to the environment and to human health.
In line with Irish, European and international policies, Ireland needs to transition towards a resource-efficient, low-carbon and environmentally-friendly economy in which the resources and services provided by our planet are protected and enhanced, and citizens’ health and wellbeing are safeguarded.
The Sustainability pillar of the EPA’s Research Programme 2014-2020 is designed to identify pressures, inform policy and develop solutions to environmental challenges within the following four thematic areas through the provision of strong evidence-based scientific knowledge:
• Resource Efficiency
• Health & Wellbeing
• Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services including soils and biodiversity
• Socio-Economic Aspects of a Sustainable Environment
