During an address Andrew Muir also reaffirmed his strong support for an Independent Environmental Protection Agency.
Stormont’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister has vowed to tackle the climate and biodiversity “challenge”.
Andrew Muir also reaffirmed his strong support for an Independent Environmental Protection Agency during an address to the Northern Ireland Environment Forum.
Emphasising that focusing on environmental protection is an “investment in long term health, resilience and economic prosperity”, Mr Muir outlined his vision for a “nature positive society that was fair, resilient and prosperous, delivered through a just transition”.
He was speaking just days after the latest demonstration of concern around Lough Neagh, which has been blighted by noxious blooms of blue-green algae in recent summers.
Mr Muir said his priorities include championing climate action, improving water quality at Lough Neagh and elsewhere, facilitating nature recovery that halts and reverses the trend on biodiversity loss, strengthening environmental governance and embedding sustainability.
He said progress has been made under the Environmental Improvement Plan and, in recognising that there was more work to do, he reaffirmed his strong support for an Independent Environmental Protection Agency.
Mr Muir described climate change as “the defining challenge of our generation” as evidenced by increased flash flooding, wildfires, other extreme weather events and pressures on farming, food systems and infrastructure.
He also described how his department was taking ambitious action across land use, waste, forestry, fisheries and agriculture.
Mr Muir argued that climate and biodiversity were “two sides of the same coin”, and that he is “determined to reverse the trend on nature decline through the draft Nature Recovery Strategy”.
Turning to water quality, Mr Muir said action was being taken to reduce nutrient pollution and improve river basin management and emphasised the importance of sectors working together to restore and protect Lough Neagh.
“Lough Neagh provides 40% of our drinking water, demonstrating how improving water quality is not just about protecting ecosystems,” he said.
“Clean air, clean water and access to nature are fundamental to public wellbeing.
“Environmental protection is an investment in long-term health and resilience.
“Through our policies on air, water, chemicals, land and nature, Daera contributes directly to preventative health outcomes, working closely with health, infrastructure and local government partners, as well as our rural communities.”
Meanwhile, Mr Muir said all aspects of society are interlinked and all have a part to play.
“With farmers managing over one million hectares of land, they have a vital role to play in nature recovery and have been for many generations the custodians of our land,” he said.
“Through the Sustainable Agriculture Programme, we are supporting farmers to aid nature recovery and farm resilience.
“The solutions to many of our problems also present massive opportunities if we only grasp them, from climate action to nature recovery to a circular economy.
“It is all interlinked and all of us have a part to play.
“Through sustained collaboration, focused on a just transition, we can all feel the benefits that a nature-positive society will bring.”
