A major study began in September 2002 to measure Northern Ireland's impact on the environment.
The first phase of the project will involve the gathering of data on all aspects of the Northern Ireland economy, including energy consumption and materials use, food production and consumption, and waste production. The environmental impact of these activities will be presented as an ecological footprint—a means of measuring and communicating sustainable resource use that will estimate the area of land needed for Northern Ireland to function sustainably.
The study will contribute to placing environmental decisionmaking in Northern Ireland on an evidence-based footing and will provide a baseline for measuring progress towards sustainable development. The outputs of the study will allow the development of policy and planning instruments relevant to regional needs and priorities.