Natural Capital Ireland — Out & About!

Guided walking tour of the local marine ecosystem on Muigh Inis with Maeve Edwards of the Irish Seaweed Consultancy Ltd. at the 'Todhchaí Ghorm - Blue Future' event on 7-9th October 2025.

In late September, Deirdre Lane (NCI Executive Coordinator) joined the sixth meeting of the renewed Irish Bioeconomy Forum in Tralee, Co. Kerry. Two key conversations for NCI were the policy innovation toolbox and cluster building for the bioeconomy. The toolbox included three components:

1. a feedstock/technology push (e.g. R&D, access, financial support)

2. market pull (e.g. quotas, procurement, labelling, incentives, taxes)

3. other cross-cutting tools (e.g. standards, education, public acceptance).

The Forum also explored the importance of ecosystem and cluster building. Examples of organisations operating in a bioeconomy cluster include IKC3, BiOrbic, and CAP Network Ireland.

On 7-9th October, Deirdre helped to facilitate the 'Todhchaí Ghorm - Blue Future' event hosted by Nua Mara to celebrate Ireland's blue economy and the 50th anniversary of the Carna Research Station at the University of Galway. Over 100 people explored international innovations in seaweed research, marine conservation, and sustainable aquaculture as we actively contributed to forming the national bioeconomy strategy.

Pictured below are the CSO (Central Statistics Office Ireland) team and ForES project team in the National Botanic Gardens at the Ecosystem Accounts Stakeholder Forum.

As part of National Bioeconomy Week 2025, we attended the EnableBIO webinar titled 'Agri-food ‘waste’ in Ireland's circular bioeconomy: regulatory insights'. One suggestion made was Natural Capital Accounting informed by Life Cycle Analyses data by meat/fish species and their side streams.

That same week, we met data providers and users at the CSO Ecosystem Accounts Stakeholder Forum in the autumnal National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. The day included presentations from national experts and the CSO on their recent publications. We heard updates on plans for Ecosystem Accounting in Ireland and the EU, and were joined online by Statistics Netherlands to hear about their work. Deirdre enjoyed connecting with some of our NCI Steering Committee, as well as ForES project team members Kathleen Conroy, Owen Small, and Matheus Etges pictured above.

In September, NCI attended the KPMG Industry & Finance workshop to inform upcoming progress reports on the 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023 – 2030. We also participated in their cross-sectoral stakeholder workshop on 23rd October to synthesise findings from the preceding sectoral events.

Photos from the Heritage Ireland 2030 Summit on 29th October 2025 at Trinity College Dublin.

On 29th October 2025, NCI had a wonderful day at the annual Heritage Ireland 2030 Summit at Trinity College Dublin, organised by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Nature was well represented at the event by speakers from the Heritage in Schools Programme and the National Parks & Wildlife Service. In describing the Glenveagh National Park outreach programme for young people, Clare Bromley of the NPWS said, "Nature interpretation is about provoking people to feel and to think...so they feel connected to our natural heritage."

This theme of harnessing sensory experiences to inspire people to protect nature was carried through many conversations of the day. It was energising to meet others from the NPWS, including Niall Ó Donnchú, Niamh Farren, and Dr Andy Bleasdale. We also enjoyed discussing natural capital with representatives of archaeological, cultural, and built heritage organisations. Many of Ireland's historic houses and properties have the potential to harness nature as a core value shared with visitors and conserved for future generations. Natural Capital Accounting can be a tool to integrate these values into decision-making.

It was brilliant to see Leah O'Donoghue's live illustration of the event's key messages! View past Heritage Ireland 2030 Summit Reports here: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/heritage-ireland-2030-summit/

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