Cork minister launches new guidance to aid biodiversity action

New guidance to help public and State bodies take action for biodiversity has been launched this week by a Cork minister.

Biodiversity Duty Reporting Guidance for Public Bodies was launched by Christopher O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South West and minister of state for nature, heritage, and biodiversity.

The guidance provides practical steps to help public bodies fulfil their biodiversity duty — a new legal requirement for public and State bodies to consider biodiversity in their decision-making and daily operations.

Developed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) with support from Business for Biodiversity Ireland, the guidance will also assist public bodies in fulfilling their biodiversity reporting obligations.

Mr O’Sullivan said everyone had a role to play in protecting our biodiversity, and that included public and State bodies.

“Many of them, including ESB and Iarnród Éireann, are already leading by example and can see the benefits for biodiversity, for the public and their own organisations,” he said.

“This guidance will help even more of our public bodies to make a commitment to biodiversity.”

ESB is a member of the Business for Biodiversity Ireland platform, which is an initiative seed-funded by the NPWS and the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine.

Geoff Hamilton, biodiversity lead at ESB, said biodiversity action was a core part of the company’s ambition, and it aimed to be nature-positive by 2030.

He said: “In 2024, ESB appointed a group head of sustainability, who has completed the establishment of a new centre of sustainability, including the creation of a new role of group biodiversity lead, tasked with driving biodiversity action and transformation across ESB’s business units.”

Niall Ó Donnchú, director general of the NPWS, said public and State bodies were an important partner in the delivery of the National Biodiversity Action Plan, and he thanked them for their positive engagement in promoting biodiversity.