[ Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028, Section 15(2) Two-Year Progress Report ]
SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Targets under this goal relevant to the City Development Plan: Target 15.1
By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements. Target 15.2 By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally. Target 15.5 Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. Target 15.8 By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species. Target 15.9 By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts. In relation to Targets 15.1, 15.2 and 15.5, the protection and promotion of biodiversity, ecology, habitat connectivity, natural areas and landscape character is a key ambition of the City Development Plan, captured largely under Strategic Objective 5 and the suite of objectives in chapter 6. Objective 6.23 seeks the protection of designated sites and the habitats and species for which the sites are designated, while Objective 6.25 addresses non-designated areas of biodiversity importance. The City Development Plan supports the implementation of the National Biodiversity Plan, All- Ireland Pollinator Plan and the Cork City Council Hertiage and Biodiversity Plan (Objective 6.22) which contains 73 actions that include projects, reach out and education on biodiversity. Cork City Council appointed two Biodiversity Officers in 2023 to implement the biodiversity actions set out in the Cork City Council Heritage and Biodiversity Plan 2021-2026, embed biodiversity as a strategic consideration in the functions of Cork City Council and promote the protection and enhancement of biodiversity in the city. Each year there are several events hosted by or partnered with Cork City Council celebrating biodiversity, including the annual Biodiversity Week in May and numerous other events detailed it the main body of the two-year progress report. The City Development Plan’s green and blue infrastructure (GBI) strategy (Objective 6.1) seeks to protect and enhance the green and blue infrastructure assets of the city. The GBI strategy has objectives relating to biodiversity, the water environment, climate change and land use management.
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