The principal aim of the OECD Environmental Performance Review programme is to help member and selected partner countries improve their individual and collective performance in environmental management by:

The following signs are used in figures and tables:

Over the last decade, Ireland’s environmental outcomes broadly followed the economic cycle. Major environmental pressures, such as emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and air pollutants, nitrogen balance, waste generation and material consumption declined during the 2007-12 recession. Significant underinvestment in the wake of the recession affected the quality of infrastructure and slowed down environmental progress. Environmental pressures rose with the fast economic growth of 2014-19. They are likely to intensify with population growth and increasing urban sprawl, road traffic and livestock. The positive environmental effects of the COVID-19 crisis are expected to be temporary.

The Assessment and Recommendations present the main findings of the OECD Environmental Performance Review of Ireland. They identify 43 recommendations to help the country make further progress towards its environmental objectives and international commitments. The OECD Working Party on Environmental Performance discussed and approved the Assessment and Recommendations at its meeting on 9 December 2020.