Illustration by artist Eoin Whelehan - a resource for schools and community organisations, developed by project partners Community Law & Mediation and its Centre for Environmental Justice.

National review of environmental justice finds systemic information gaps and significant environmental impacts borne by vulnerable and marginalised communities

24/03/2022

The report finds that low-income communities and marginalised groups perceive themselves to be largely excluded from environmental and planning decisions

Joe O’ Brien TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, will today launch a newly completed report titled Environmental Justice in Ireland: Key dimensions of environmental and climate injustice experienced by vulnerable and marginalised communities [1].

The study, completed by researchers at Dublin City University’s Centre for Climate and Society, is the first of its kind to investigate key concepts and debates in environmental justice and how they relate to Ireland, in so far as data is available. In addition to the report, the Minister launched a new environmental justice resource for schools and community organisations, developed by project partners Community Law & Mediation (CLM) [4] and its Centre for Environmental Justice using illustrations by artist Eoin Whelehan.

The report finds that there is a significant gap in information correlating environmental data with the spatial distribution of disadvantage or social exclusion. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2020 state of the environment report did not consider in detail the social impacts of environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity.

The study also reports that low-income communities and marginalised groups perceive themselves to be largely excluded from environmental and planning decisions. Participants at a project workshop hosted by CLM expressed frustration with consultation processes, where the final decisions often side-lined their concerns. Legal costs and the lack of civil legal aid are significant barriers to public participation in environmental decision-making.

The report considers the potential impact of rising energy costs, transport poverty, air pollution, and flooding, and sets out key recommendations to improve the monitoring of environmental pollution and its correlation with measures of deprivation and vulnerability, as well as to strengthen access to environmental justice in Ireland. It recommends:

Improved data collection and information provision;
Improved access to environmental justice, by ensuring that civil legal aid is available to community and environmental groups;
Community engagement should be resourced and supported;
A new legal framework for environmental rights should be thoroughly explored;
A national policy statement on environmental justice that should be applied by all public bodies in their decision-making functions is needed;
A mechanism should be developed to ensure that all climate and energy policy decisions are fully poverty proofed.

Launching the report, Minister O’ Brien stated:

“The changes that society and our economy need to make in response to climate change offer both opportunities and risks. When we assess these opportunities and risks we need to be especially aware of the implications of change on the most vulnerable and marginalised. But if climate action is done in an inclusive way it can play an important part in addressing exclusion and disadvantage. Revenues from carbon tax are a good example of this – where funds gathered are used to support the retrofitting of social housing, those at risk of fuel poverty and support farmers to use more climate friendly practices”

Lead author of the study, Sadhbh O’ Neill, of DCU stated:

“This study found that there are failings in how we monitor and respond to environmental injustice in Ireland. The research only touched on a portion of the environmental burdens that directly impact low income communities and marginalised groups. Further studies are required, and in future, additional Census questions could be added to capture the environmental quality of where people live and work”.

Project lead, Dr. Diarmuid Torney of DCU, stated:

“We were delighted to partner with CLM on this important project. We in DCU have a strong commitment to tackling disadvantage and promoting inclusion in education, as well as undertaking pioneering research on climate change and environmental policy. Our report highlights the urgent need for both policy action and further research to address critical environmental justice challenges. We were keen to hear and amplify the voices of marginalised and vulnerable communities themselves. Their perspectives are included throughout the report.”

CEO of Community Law & Mediation Rose Wall stated:

“In our work with local communities, we’ve seen how climate change and other environmental harms disproportionately impact marginalised groups. We’ve also identified areas where public participation in environmental decision-making and access to justice are severely hampered by high legal costs and other barriers. The Housing and Planning and Development Bill 2020 will only make it more difficult for communities to have a say in shaping their local environment and ensuring accountability in environmental matters. This will seriously damage environmental oversight and democracy at a critical time when access to justice should be strengthened rather than restricted.”

The full report, executive summary, and an environmental justice resource for schools and community organisations are available at www.communitylawandmediation.ie/environmental-justice-in-ireland

Environmental justice resource for schools and community organisations, developed by project partners Community Law & Mediation (CLM) and its Centre for Environmental Justice using illustrations by artist Eoin Whelehan.