Natural Capital Stakeholder Workshop brings together experts for discussion

NCI held a workshop in conjunction with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment bringing together key stakeholders for a Natural Capital Stakeholder Workshop.

NCI Workshop team... Thomas Ball, KPMG, Finance Officer Sinéad Wisely; Owen Murphy, Breeding Waders EIP, facilitator Maya Clinton, NCI Exec Coordinator Deirdre Lane, facilitator Felix Sinnott, Dr Maria Fitzpatrick, Dr Emer Ní Dhúill, BFBI, Dr Jimmy O'Keeffe, DCU, Dr Catherine Farrell, TCD, NCI Director Jonathan Cooper, Ally Couchman, eftec

The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment 's Land Use and Sectoral Policy Team commissioned NCI to bring together key stakeholders to discuss the state of play and opportunities for Natural Capital Accounting and to generate and gather ideas for how to move forward in this area as a vital tool for Nature Restoration in Ireland.

Among the invited experts at Tom Johnson House, Dublin 4, were representatives from the public and private sectors, academia, agriculture, business networks, government departments, NGOs and natural capital / nature restoration experts from across Ireland and beyond. Vital topics were covered and excellent suggestions captured across many important areas of expertise - including climate, water, farming, tourism, health, wellbeing and the economy - by our brilliant facilitators led by NCI Executive Coordinator Deirdre Lane including researchers Karl Byrne, Maya Clinton and Felix Sinnott and NCI director Jonathan Cooper.

Huge thanks to our expert speakers Prof Jane Stout (Trinity College Dublin Vice President of Biodiversity & Climate Action and NCI co-founder) along with TCD's Dr Catherine Farrell of Refarm, National Parks & Wildlife Services's Dr Deirdre Lynn, Sam Belton of the Central Statistics Office and NCI Steering Committee Chair Dr Jimmy O'Keeffe of Dublin City University and Farm-NC who spoke about his VNiC-Health project findings (on natural capital in urban areas for health). Also to Ed Pragnell of CreditNature who gave us insights into how our colleagues in Scotland are applying the approach there.

A workshop report will be produced from the recommendations, with future events to guide the development in natural capital accounting in Ireland, as NCI is also delighted to support the Department in establishing a Natural Capital Experts Group, an action included in Ireland's 4th Biodiversity Action Plan.

Watch this space for updates.