Social Partnership

 Environmental Pillar of Social Partnership

The IWT provides a voice for wildlife and pushes the biodiversity agenda at government level with our colleagues in the Environmental Pillar.

What is the Environmental Pillar?

Social Partnership is a mechanism for agreeing on social policy that involves the government and a number of ‘pillars’.  The environmental pillar came into being at the behest of the Green Party in 2008 to better represent the interests of environmental non-governmental organizations (eNGOs) at government level.  It currently has 27 members including the IWT, which was a founding member.  Find out more at www.environmentalpillar.ie.

Why did we get involved?

The IWT felt that it was important to be involved with the Environmental Pillar from the start as it was an opportunity to give environmental issues a greater voice at the highest level of policy making.  While policy is not the most glamorous subject it has huge impacts on our wildlife e.g. through the government’s approach to forestry, agri-environment schemes, climate change or planning.  While the social partners have not met since the foundation of the Environment Pillar it has nevertheless been invaluable in bringing eNGOs together in a spirit of cooperation and gaining access at ministerial level which would be otherwise difficult if we were acting on our own.

What does it do?

• It creates and promotes policies that advance sustainability.
• It provides an access point into government policy-making at national, regional, and local levels.
• It provides a channel for government and the other Social Partners to engage with the environmental sector on policy matters.
• It provides a public profile for the environmental sector on policy matters.