Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is bad at protecting its environment. Companies are more or less free to damage our air, water and soil. We're sacrificing our health and livelihoods, including tourism.

Brexit only raised the stakes. Without strong environmental laws, the border with the Republic of Ireland could become a dumping ground for polluting industries now that we've left the EU.

We need an independent Environmental Protection Agency – and an environmental court with the freedom and expertise to challenge bad decisions.

Northern Ireland has a problem with unlawful and poorly regulated mines and quarries – from basalt in the Antrim plateau, to limestone from Fermanagh, and sand from Lough Neagh. Now international corporations have come looking for gold, lead, oil and gas, and our most precious places are at risk.

We’re working with frontline communities to protect their countryside from exploitation and pollution.

Lough Neagh is one of Northern Ireland’s most precious wildlife sites. It's supposed to be protected under international, European and Northern Ireland law. Yet it's in a dire state – water quality is poor, and birds and fish are disappearing. 

It's difficult to pinpoint all the causes. But one suspect stands out: unlawful sand dredging. Some companies are sucking out sand from the lough without planning permission or environmental assessment.

We won against the dredging in the courts. But the government allows it to go on. We won't stop fighting. If we can’t save such a designated protected site, then nowhere's safe.

We're committed to having access to rights and justice at the heart of all our campaigns. Our legal team works closely with communities and activists, developing relationships and navigating environmental and planning legislation.

With the courts on our doorstep, we access the justice system in a number of different ways. We build strong partnerships with communities and legal organisations to help protect our land, water and air.

With multiple crises such as climate breakdown, ecological collapse and growing inequalities, we're committed to a world that's green and fair for people and nature. We successfully campaigned for the first climate legislation in Northern Ireland. Now we're demanding that our government departments play their part in implementing the new Climate Change Act for Northern Ireland as we aim to meet net zero by 2050.

People power played a vital role in securing this legislation in 2022. Ordinary people stepped in to write legislation when the minister responsible refused, forcing Northern Ireland to stop being a climate laggard. Watch our film telling the story of what happened.

Northern Ireland continues to promote industrial-style factory farming. Our environment is in an ammonia crisis, largely due to the impacts of this industrial agricultural model.

Our ammonia emissions are 4 times higher than the rest of the UK per person, and they pollute our air, water and soil. Nearly all (98%) of our protected habitats have ammonia levels such that they're ecologically damaged.

There must be an end to both new factory farms and the expansion of existing factory farms, with support for farmers to transition to a truly sustainable form of animal agriculture.