Launch of Meath Biodiversity Action Plan

Meath County Council has launched the Meath Biodiversity Action Plan 2025 – 2030, outlining its vision and ambition to further the protection, conservation, management and promotion of Meath’s biodiversity.

The five-year plan unveiled at Buvinda House in Navan aims to focus the efforts of Meath County Council and other local partners to provide a coordinated response to escalating environmental challenges such as the decline of biodiversity and a changing climate, while supporting sustainable development in the county.

A total of 55 actions organised under five broad strategic objectives in the Meath Biodiversity Action Plan, together with the County Meath Climate Action Plan, provide the local authority with a roadmap which enables it to play its part in addressing these challenges at the local level.

Actions in the plan such as the roll-out of an internal staff training programme, the integration of nature-based solutions into projects, firmer commitment to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and a reduction in chemical pesticides usage represent many of the direct interventions that Meath County Council are committed to.

Local Authority Biodiversity Action Plan Guidelines published in 2024 by The Heritage Council were used to inform the development of the Meath Biodiversity Action Plan.

Over a 20-month period, community representatives, landowners and farmers, statutory agencies, council officials and biodiversity specialists came together as a Biodiversity Working Group under the Meath Heritage Forum to work on the action plan and agree its contents. Two periods of public consultation facilitated wider public participation in the development process also.

Cllr Wayne Harding, Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council, thanked everyone who engaged in the preparation of the Biodiversity Action Plan, adding: “As we enter the implementation phase of this Plan, there is an important point to be made, and that is: this Plan will only succeed if we all play our part.

“Communities and individuals across Meath are already doing incredible work – whether it is their efforts to re-introduce pockets of woodlands back to their communities, small orchards, hedgerows or management practices that encourage and allow nature to thrive - these local actions make a real difference.”

Kieran Kehoe, Chief Executive of Meath County Council, said the Meath County Development Plan already places strong emphasis on preserving natural heritage, by guiding sustainable development while safeguarding nature. “The Biodiversity Action Plan builds on this foundation, aligning local priorities with national and international policy, and setting out a path for meaningful, measurable progress.”

Virginia Teehan, Chief Executive of The Heritage Council described the Action Plan as a milestone initiative, representing a vital step in bringing national biodiversity policy to life at the local level, reflecting Meath’s unique landscapes, rich natural and cultural heritage and engaged communities.

“The Local Authority Biodiversity Officer Programme, initiated by The Heritage Council in collaboration with the City and County Management Association, has been instrumental in ensuring that biodiversity becomes a central consideration in local governance.”

The development of the Meath Biodiversity Action Plan 2025-2030 was supported with funding from The Heritage Council and Meath County Council, with the Biodiversity Officer position jointly supported by both organisations.