Success Stories

In Northern Ireland Friends of the Earth has scored many remarkable victories on behalf of our threatened world, people and wildlife.

Victories such as:

• Ballynahone bog - in 1996 we saved Ballynahone bog, Co. Londonderry, from destruction at the hands of the Bulrush peat company.
  
  It is one of the finest examples of a lowland raised bog in Northern Ireland.

• Magheramorne landfill site - 1997 saw the defeat of a plan by Haul Waste for a superdump (PDF) at Magheramorne, Co. Antrim.

• Quarry tax - in 2002 we successfully persuaded the UK Government to introduce the Aggregates Levy (PDF) in Northern Ireland.
  
  The construction industry had lobbied hard to have Northern Ireland exempted from the tax.

• Environmental Protection Agency - in late 2005 we convinced the Government to hold an independent review of the way Northern Ireland's environment is regulated.
  
  In February 2008 we published a document showing the breadth of support for our campaign. A total of 7,500 signed postcards were collected. The campaign continues.

• Sewerage - following complaints from us the European Court of Justice and the High Court ruled that Government had been acting unlawfully in its policy on sewage ‘hotspots'.
  
  In response Northern Ireland Water has an ambitious programme of investment in new sewage works.
  
  It now also takes pollution impacts into account when making sewer connections.

• Climate change - after lobbying from Friends of the Earth local groups and activists all 18 of Northern Ireland's MPs signed the Big Ask pledge.
  
  On 15 November 2006 a Climate Change Bill was announced in the Queen's speech.

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