All-Island environmental governance post Brexit? Mobilising key actors in Ireland and Northern Ireland

The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland belong to a single biogeographic unit and face shared environmental challenges. The importance of cross-border cooperation on the island of Ireland for nature and biodiversity was acknowledged in a recent mapping exercise conducted jointly by the UK and EU (UK. Department for Exiting the European Union, 2018). Many of NI's nature reserves have been developed in collaboration with the EU and a number of Natura 2000 sites in NI straddle the border, adjoining sites in Ireland.

However, the United Kingdom left the EU on the 31st January 2020 with a transition period in place where EU rules and regulations would continue to apply to the UK. This transition period is due to end on the 31st December 2020. Part of the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement ratified in 2020 included the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland which sets out a new legal framework (irrespective of a potential future trade relationship) between both parts of the island. It has direct implications for the environment (listing areas of EU environmental rules which Northern Ireland will need to continue to comply with) as well as indirect implications, such as (a) how it would work alongside the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (GFA) and future relationship and (b) how environmental groups and priorities can be featured in the institutions it sets out.

Additionally, at odds with common perceptions of a 'green' Ireland, both jurisdictions have long been environmental laggards. The repeated failures of both governments mean environmental governance on the island is even more dependent on the actions of non-governmental actors, from businesses, to third sector organisations and research organisations, mobilising in uncertain times. Mobilising a variety of Irish voices in these debates (via consultation, etc.) is critical to (a) learn from the previous economic crisis and how it stifled environmental action and (b) develop a European Green Deal which can also work beyond the borders of the EU, so both sides of the island can rebuild greener. This echoes the new draft Irish Programme for Government calling for a 'shared Ireland', seeking to 'develop an all-island strategy to tackle climate breakdown and the biodiversity crisis'.(Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green Party, 2020) and at the EU level, where a European Green Deal is a priority of the new Von der Leyen Commission, a priority which has been reiterated in the face of covid19 and its impact on European economies.

This project aims at mobilising key actors across the island of Ireland to improve environmental governance (both cross-border and all-Island) after Brexit and in times of coronavirus. It will amplify innovation and progress, creating new links and reinforcing pre-existing relationships between research communities and practitioners across the island. The project will carry out a number of tasks: firstly it will map past cooperation cross-border to better understand what forms of cooperation have been established, what they achieved and how they are being challenged by the present dual disruptions. It will then analyse our new present to foster mobilisation, understanding and use of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland. Finally, it will sketch the way forward towards a Green Deal on the island of Ireland.

We will deliver on these objectives by (a) pursuing interdisciplinary work, bringing together a gender-balanced team from policy, planning and law; (b) supporting early career researchers notably PGR students in our institutions in developing their impact and engagement skills and (c) the network will also benefit our partner organisations, NI Environment Link and Environmental Pillar by creating opportunities to solidify evidence-based analysis of past forms of cooperation as well as provide a forum for in-depth analysis of current developments with Protocol implementation and Covid19 impact.