Investing in nature is investing in our future

Tomorrow’s budget is already predicted to be a giveaway, but the Apple tax haul could see funds channelled into addressing Ireland’s biodiversity loss, writes Emma DeSouza

A third of Ireland’s 100 bee species are threatened with extinction alongside 48 species of fish, crustaceans, shellfish, and invertebrates. Picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

The Government finds itself in an enviable position: An already swollen budget surplus has ballooned following a €14bn tax windfall from the drawn-out court case with Apple.

It’s a position in which most countries could only dream to find themselves. The question now is: How will the Government spend it?

Tomorrow’s budget is already predicted to be a giveaway, offering tax cuts and incentives to entice voters ahead of a potential early election. However, the Apple tax haul represents an enticing new opportunity.

The ruling of the European Court of Justice upheld a 2016 European Commission challenge to Ireland’s controversial tax breaks being provided to Apple.

The global tech giant had avoided paying taxes in Ireland thanks to a now-defunct tax scheme.

The Government spent a decade fighting not to accept the tax windfall. Now that the country no longer has any choice but to accept the payment, officials seem at a loss as to how to spend it.

Government spokespeople have been reluctant to speculate as to the manner with which the surplus may be distributed, but details are expected to emerge at tomorrow’s budget announcement.

One obvious solution would be to channel the funds toward some of the more critical threats facing the country by urgently addressing Ireland’s devastating biodiversity loss and failing climate targets.

Celebrated across history for its famously lush landscape by poets and artists, even those as notably far-flung as Johnny Cash in his iconic ‘Forty Shades of Green’, the current state of decline in Ireland’s natural habitat is stark. The Government was forced to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency in 2019.

In total, 85% of Ireland’s EU-protected habitats are in an “unfavourable status” — with 46% in decline. Half of the country’s rivers and two-thirds of the estuaries are in poor ecological health. Ireland has lost more than 90% of its wetlands, more than any other country in the world.

A third of Ireland’s 100 bee species are threatened with extinction alongside 48 species of fish, crustaceans, shellfish, and invertebrates.

Nearly two-thirds of bird species have been designated as a conservation concern and are under severe pressure.

Ireland is one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth

Since 2019, there have been concerted efforts to secure biodiversity and nature on the political agenda — beginning with a citizens’ assembly on biodiversity loss.

The assembly brought together 100 citizens who met across seven meetings between 2022 and 2023, delivering 159 recommendations with 73 high-level recommendations and 86 sectoral-specific actions.

The report was a damning indictment of the Government’s approach, stating that the assembly “believes that the State has comprehensively failed to adequately fund, implement, and enforce existing national legislation, national policies, EU biodiversity-related laws, and directives related to biodiversity”.

In response, the Government launched the fourth National Biodiversity Plan which aims to protect and restore nature across the country.

Nearly two-thirds of bird species have been designated as a conservation concern and are under severe pressure. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

The plan lists 194 actions, a funding package of €3.15bn, and promises an “all of Government” approach to tackling the crisis.

The plan includes commitments to expand Ireland’s national parks, target invasive species, and an exploration of ways to formally recognise the rights of nature.

The Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action subsequently recommended the Government advance a referendum on protecting biodiversity which would have recognised the rights of nature as comparable to those of people.

Despite this momentum, significant problems persist

Plans to recognise the rights of nature have disappeared with no referendum or formal commitment to hold one, and the €3.15bn climate and nature fund under the national action plan is not accessible until 2026.

Just imagine how transformative an influx of funding from the Apple tax payout could be toward addressing Ireland’s biodiversity loss, from supercharging forestation plans to investing in conservation and building nature-friendly infrastructure like green bridges and wildlife overpasses.

As a rural woman, I am constantly reminded of the negative impact of humans on our wildlife by the array of animals left dead at the side of the road.

Wildlife overpasses provide safer routes for animals and decrease road accidents in a society that continues to encroach upon natural habitats.

Biodiversity loss and declining ecosystems are not solely an environmental threat but an economic, social, and moral issue.

Failing to urgently address Ireland’s biodiversity crisis limits our ability to achieve sustainable development goals related to poverty, health, water, and climate. A failure to address these issues now could significantly impact future generations, causing food insecurity, health inequities, and economic instability.

Investing in nature restoration and biodiversity is an investment in our future.

If the Government is serious about protecting future generations, it should ring-fence funding from the Apple tax windfall for nature restoration and biodiversity and make that funding accessible.

This approach should be done in tandem with specific green infrastructure funding — including green buses and the implementation of the all-island rail review recommendations.

Having missed the 2020 emissions reduction targets, Ireland is now on track to miss the 2030 targets by a significant margin.

Climate goals

Ireland is consistently underperforming, compared to our European counterparts, when it comes to climate goals.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) greenhouse gas emissions projections illustrate that Ireland could achieve a 29% reduction by 2030, but only if planned climate policies and measures are fully implemented.

The goal for 2030 was a 51% reduction, and Ireland doesn’t have a strong track record with regard to its implementation of vitally important plans.

Ireland does not have to reinvent the wheel in order to plan more ambitious approaches toward addressing biodiversity loss and climate challenges.

There are any number of examples set internationally and a stack of plans and strategies in Ireland that — if implemented — could make a difference.

The difficulty is often in securing funding and, given the influx of revenue from the Apple court case, this development could make all the difference.

The money from Apple amounts to 16% of last year’s total tax revenue

That a Government should want to forgo this revenue to such an extent as to actively invest resources, time, and energy toward combating it in court is baffling and frankly embarrassing.

The State’s responsibility is to the people, fauna, and flora of Ireland — not multinational tech giants.

There has been much speculation about how the Government will proceed to spend its unwanted windfall, with suggestions it could be used to reduce the national debt — a truly uninspired proposal.

The Government has an unprecedented opportunity to transform its approach to biodiversity loss and supercharge its efforts to meet climate goals in line with global leaders. For the sake of all who share this island, the Government should take it.