OPW Biodiversity Strategy

The OPW Biodiversity Strategy 2022-2026 sets out OPW’s intention for conservation, promoting and enhancing biodiversity across its operations.

The strategy report forms the direction of flow for the main body of work for the OPW’s Biodiversity Unit.

The Strategy contains 50 actions across 5 pillars of action, these are the basis of our 5 working groups:

• Planning for Nature;
• Natural Leaders;
• Working with Water & Wildlife;
• Diversity by Design and
• Natural Knowledge,

and are in turn supported by the OPW Biodiversity Action Strategy Steering Group.

Significant staff engagement has been at the core of the development of this Strategy and it reflects the positive contribution of many staff from across the OPW. This has helped lay the foundations for its implementation and to improve understanding of the role of biodiversity in many aspects of the remit of the OPW. Across all areas of property management, heritage services, and flood risk management, the OPW carries out various initiatives and undertakes specific work practices to conserve and promote biodiversity.

The OPW is in a unique position to play a leadership role in tackling the loss of biodiversity in Ireland. This strategy sets out the organisation’s clear vision for the future and outlines the steps the OPW and its staff will take over the years ahead to help ensure that biodiversity is protected for future generations.

National Biodiversity Plans

This strategy identifies strategic actions to help to deliver Government policy through contribution to the delivery of the National Biodiversity Action Plan[1]. We set out our strategic actions under specific themes. The themes encompass all of our teams and environments. The actions are targeted at ways in which we can improve our approach to biodiversity enhancement.

International Policy

Ireland has an obligation to protect biodiversity through international treaties and directives, which are transposed into national policy and law. While the CBD sets the global context for action, it also requires all contracting parties to develop national strategies and action plans for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030[2], in turn, sets targets informed by the Convention on Biological Diversity for EU member states. Ireland has translated this into domestic policy through the National Biodiversity Action Plan.

[1] www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/files/4th_National_Biodiversity_Action_Plan.pdf

[2] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en