Investment in nature, a just transition and a fairer tax system is necessary to address climate and biodiversity crises & avoid future costs, environmental charities tell National Economic Dialogue
Ireland must invest wisely now in climate action, nature restoration, creating a fairer tax system and providing for a just and equal society rather than wasting billions in public money buying carbon credits in the future, according to the Environmental Pillar.
At today’s National Economic Dialogue, the Environmental Pillar said that Ireland stands at a pivotal moment. Despite years of mounting evidence, urgent warnings from scientists, and a strong public mandate for climate and environmental action, progress remains painfully slow—and in some areas, alarmingly regressive. Emissions are rising, biodiversity is collapsing, and the gap between stated ambitions and real-world implementation is widening.
Oisín Coghlan, Environmental Pillar Spokesperson said: “Most representative groups at the National Economic Dialogue start by saying what they think the Government should spend more money on.
“This year, the Environmental Pillar’s first advice to Government is what not to spend money on. Don’t spend €8 to €26 billion on the bill we currently face for missing our climate pollution targets, according to the recent Fiscal Advisory Council report.
“Far better for the Government to invest now in helping people have warmer homes with lower energy bills, clean power and cleaner air, and much more public transport from local link to Metrolink. Invest now in improving the quality of life in Ireland rather than waste billions in public money buying carbon credits from other EU states in a few years time.
“The Fiscal Council calculated the Government could reduce our climate bill by €14 billion by urgently implementing what’s promised in the Programme for Government: ‘decisive action to radically reduce our reliance on expensive, imported fossil fuels.
“The Government could save the equivalent of the cost of six children’s hospitals, or 42,000 Dáil bike sheds, just by taking the climate action it’s already promised but has been too slow to implement.”
Budget 2026 must mark a decisive shift, The Environmental Pillar says. It is no longer enough to rely on policy statements, roadmaps, or incremental funding commitments. The urgency and scale of the crises we face demand transformative action—rooted in fairness, guided by science, and focused on delivery.
To meet both our existing obligations and the new demands under EU law, Ireland must dramatically increase funding for nature restoration —across peatlands, farmlands, rivers, woodlands, coastal and marine environments. Budget 2026 presents an opportunity to act decisively.
Oonagh Duggan, Head of Advocacy at BirdWatch Ireland, a member organisation of the Environmental Pillar Steering Committee said: “At a minumum, €463.5 million annually is needed to support this work at the necessary scale, according to the Financial Needs Assessments commissioned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (1). This is not just about spending more, but about spending wisely—on long-term, multi-annual programmes that build ecological resilience, create green jobs, and restore public and landowners trust in environmental governance.”
The Pillar is also calling on the Government to continue the trajectory of the last number of years and increase funding for the NPWS by 25% in Budget 2026.
Equally urgent is the need to align our tax and spending systems with climate and biodiversity goals, according to the Environmental Pillar.
Dr Oliver Moore from Cultivate, member organisation of the Environmental Pillar Steering Committee said that fairness must be at the heart of this transition.
“As the climate and ecological crises deepen, so too do social inequalities. Lower-income households are more exposed to climate risks, less able to absorb energy price shocks, and often excluded from schemes that support sustainable choices. Budget 2026 must do more to protect vulnerable families and ensure no one is left behind. Social protection payments should be benchmarked to average wages, and targeted supports—such as zero-interest loans for home energy upgrades, expanded retrofit schemes, and community solar programmes—must be made widely accessible, especially to renters and those at risk of energy poverty.”
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