Minister O’Sullivan launches public consultation on draft 2025 Sectoral Adaptation Plan for Biodiversity
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Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O'Sullivan T.D., has today (20 August) launched a public consultation process on the draft 2025 Sectoral Adaptation Plan (SAP) for Biodiversity. The Plan sets out the policy and context for biodiversity adaptation policy in Ireland and a series of actions and objectives to safeguard Ireland’s biodiversity and its resilience to the impact of climate change.
Minister O’Sullivan said:
“Significant investment in recent years from government and large scale European projects has strengthened restoration and safeguarding of our most precious habitats including Blanket Bog, and our rarest species such as the Corncrake and Curlew. Last year we launched Ireland’s fourth National Biodiversity Action Plan, and work is well advanced to develop Ireland’s first national Nature Restoration Plan. The government has also increased the resources available to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, to ensure that it is equipped to lead on Ireland’s response to the biodiversity crisis.
“Climate change is an increasing pressure to our biodiversity and this is embedded within these initiatives. The Biodiversity Sectoral Adaptation Plan is a further opportunity to strengthen these actions, hear from stakeholders affected and co-ordinate our efforts with other government departments to safeguard our biodiversity.
“Our biodiversity is important to a wide range of stakeholders, including those active in the water, forestry, marine and agricultural sectors. I encourage everyone to have their say so that we have a Plan that is informed by the best available science and the views of all stakeholders affected.”
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is co-ordinating the development of the Sectoral Adaptation Plan and the public consultation, which runs from 20th August to 17th September.
Climate Change Adaptation is the ongoing process of adjusting to current or anticipated effects of climate change. It is not a one-off emergency response, but a strategic and proactive effort to build the resilience of our economy, communities, and ecosystems.
The draft plan includes a detailed review of the current understanding of the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in Ireland, in aquatic, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and includes case studies to highlight some examples of the impact of future climate change projections on the sectors and steps towards building resilience to address this.
Feedback on the Plan and suggestions as to how NPWS and other sectors can best prepare to operate in a changing climate should be submitted before the closing date of Wednesday, 17 September 2025.
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Consultation
The Draft Plan is available here: Public Consultation on the Draft Sectoral Adaptation Plan for Biodiversity 2025.
Queries in relation to the consultation can be submitted by email to Adaptation2025@npws.gov.ie
About the Sectoral Adaptation Plan
The Biodiversity Sectoral Adaptation Plan 2025 is required under Ireland’s Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act and follows the 2024 National Adaptation Framework (NAF).
The NAF specifically outlines a vision for Ireland to become a climate-resilient society and economy by 2050 and requires key government departments including the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) to develop SAPs.
The Department published its first Sectoral Adaptation Plan in 2019, which focused on the mainstreaming of adaptation across the Department and ensuring adaptation is considered for future policy development. The work undertaken as part of the development of that document provided the basis for the development of the current Plan.
The current SAP has incorporated improvements from the 2019 version and includes: a stronger integration of climate risk assessment, measurable smart adaptation indicators, and alignment with the National Biodiversity Action Plan and national policy frameworks such as the National Climate Change Risk Assessment. The Sectoral Adaptation Plan also focuses on cross sectoral synergies, Just Transition, and nature-based solutions, whilst avoiding maladaptation.