OEP’s first assessment of Northern Ireland’s Environment Improvement Plan finds progress “largely off track”

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The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has published its first statutory report on Northern Ireland’s Environment Improvement Plan (EIP), concluding that while some progress has been made, substantial challenges remain. CIEEM’s Ireland Coordinator attended an in-person briefing for the report on Wednesday the 24th of June. 

Background 

The Environment Act 2021, approved by the Assembly in July 2022, places a statutory duty on the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to prepare and publish an EIP. The plan was eventually published in September 2024, with DAERA releasing its own progress report in January 2026. The OEP’s report is the first independent, statutory assessment of that progress, drawing on its role to gather and analyse evidence and report transparently on the findings. 

Key findings 

The OEP’s overall assessment is stark: progress towards the EIP’s ambitions, targets and outcomes is largely off track. Of the 38 individual targets and outcomes assessed, the OEP found prospects were largely on track for three, partially on track for six, and largely off track for 26. Prospects for the remaining three could not be assessed owing to a lack of sufficient evidence. 

The report identifies several factors holding back progress: 

  • Key policies and strategies are delayed. 
  • Actions in the EIP do not address all major pressures. 
  • Resources are not being provided as needed, even where the actions required are well understood. 
  • There is an absence of credible action or delivery plans. 

Recommendations 

The OEP has made eight key recommendations to get the EIP back on track: 

  1. Effectively address nutrient pollution. 
  2. Speed up action on the circular economy. 
  3. Ensure nature’s recovery. 
  4. Implement the EIP effectively. 
  5. Address delays. 
  6. Develop and implement effective governance across the Executive and its departments, and effective partnership working. 
  7. Improve resourcing. 
  8. Develop and implement an effective monitoring, evaluation and learning framework. 

A statutory response from the Minister is not due until next year. 

Reflections from the in-person briefing 

Despite the sobering findings, the tone of the launch reception was positive. The OEP praised DAERA for its candour in the January progress report, and the Minister, Andrew Muir MLA, thanked the OEP for its work. He acknowledged that a difficult political landscape and a lack of resource had delayed action, and pointed to plans to address this, including upcoming Peace Plus funding and a £50 million Shared Ireland Fund to support sustainable water management in cross-border catchments. 

Lough Neagh, the circular economy, and the food system were also raised as areas of ongoing concern and focus. 

It was made clear that this is only year one of what is expected to be a generational process. The OEP was keen to emphasise that meaningful progress remains achievable, provided there is sustained implementation, prioritisation and resourcing going forward. 

This report comes against a backdrop of long-standing delays to the EIP’s development and publication (see our previous coverage of the EIP’s commitment to publication). 

CIEEM will continue to monitor developments on the EIP and the Executive’s response to the OEP’s recommendations.