Minister Ryan launches all 31 Local Authority Climate Action Plans in Ennis, County Clare

• Local Authority Climate Action Plans reflect the ambition of local authorities to take climate action and improve quality of life

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, today attended the official launch event for the Local Authority Climate Action Plans in the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis, County Clare.

All 31 local authorities have been preparing their local climate plans over the past year and all plans have now been adopted by the elected members. The launch is being organised by CARO, the Climate Action Regional Offices.

Completing the local climate plans is a milestone for the local government sector. Collectively there are almost 4,000 actions set out across all the local plans. They list practical climate measures to be completed in each local authority area over the next five years.

Each climate plan is built on a strong evidence base. To help inform the plans, all local authorities developed a Climate Change Risk Assessment which sets out the likely risks is terms of climate change, such as increased rainfall or flooding. They also did a Baseline Emissions Inventory which calculates the emissions within the local authority area and sets out emission by sector such as transport, the built environment and agriculture.

Each of the local authorities selected a part of their administrative area - a Decarbonising Zone - where they will pilot and test new actions and projects in collaboration with key stakeholders to help move towards a net zero carbon future.

The plans demonstrate the ambition, focus and commitment of each local authority to reduce carbon emissions and improve the quality of life for people living, working and studying in each county.

Speaking about the event and local authorities' role in climate delivery, Minister Ryan said:

"The climate is changing more quickly and unpredictably than scientists expected. We can see the impacts all around us - flooding, heatwaves, droughts. Local government has a key role to play in tackling climate change. They act as local leaders, champions and work closely with communities on the ground across a range of key areas, from housing to transport. They use their extensive knowledge of the natural and built environments in their areas to make a real difference.

"The new local authority climate action plans will enhance local government's ability to act. For the first time, all the climate related actions have been brought together into one document, serving as a focal point and the manual for each local authority and their climate journey. These plans will, over time, help us as a country to meet our national climate targets and will bring extra benefits such as making our air cleaner, our streets and public spaces quieter, and bringing more biodiversity and green spaces into where we live."

Speaking on behalf of the local government sector, John McLaughlin, Chair of the County and City Management Association Climate Action, Transport, Circular Economy, and Networks Committee said:

"Each local authority climate action plan was developed to respond to the unique challenges and opportunities of its area. The plans are based on research, consultation, and real understanding, and that is why they will have a significant impact in our cities and counties, and collectively for Ireland. Local authorities have been taking a lead on climate action for some time and now with 31 plans in place, we can build on this in a strategic, integrated and measurable way.

"I am delighted to see members of the climate teams from the 31 local authorities gathered in Clare today to collaborate and learn from each other. They will all play a vital role in driving the climate action plans forward, supporting across all local authority departments to help achieve our targets."

Local authorities have worked over the past 12 months to engage with citizens, local businesses, public bodies and community organisations to inform their thinking around actions and priorities. Whilst working to national guidelines with set parameters, each plan is bottom-up and locally created; each plan is tailored to its local area.

Over the past two years each local authority has received funding from Government to assist them with developing their local plans, totalling almost €8 million, and this set to continue over the coming years.

The local authority climate action plans will help local authorities to address, in an integrated way, the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change adaptation and strengthen the alignment between national climate policy and the delivery of effective local climate action.

The local climate plans will be closely monitored by the local authorities to ensure that their projects are on track and will develop implementation plans with more detail on delivery. They will report to the local government sector and the supporting department, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, on key indicators.

The launch will also serve as a networking event for the local authority staff who have been writing the climate plans. It includes a day of study visits to interesting climate projects in County Clare and will give the participants the opportunity to meet colleagues across all local authorities and share learning and experiences.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor

Local Authority Climate Action Plans

Local authorities are key drivers in advancing climate policy at the local level. Ireland's Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act (2021) requires each local authority to prepare a Local Authority Climate Action Plan to meet national climate targets and develop resilience to the impacts of climate change. The plans must be consistent with the most recent approved National Climate Action Plan and National Adaptation Framework. Once adopted, each plan will be valid for five years.

As part of its local authority climate action plan, each local authority is responsible for establishing a decarbonising zone within their local authority area. Decarbonising zones (DZs) are intended to be the focus for a range of climate mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity measures and will help local authorities to identify projects which will contribute to the delivery of the national climate objective.

In March 2023, the Minister launched a set of statutory guidelines to assist local authorities in preparing local authority climate action plans. These guidelines provide robust guidance to local authorities in preparing their plans and to ensure a coherent and consistent approach while not being overly prescriptive. The guidelines were developed in collaboration with key players in the local government and climate sectors, overseen by a Project Advisory Group.

Local Authority climate teams and Government funding

Each local authority has formed climate action teams and governance structures to ensure the plans have the teams and structures in place to deliver the actions. These include a dedicated Climate Action Coordinator and Climate Action Officer to assist with the development and implementation of the plans, funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

The Climate Action Coordinator manages climate action internally within each local authority, across the local authority sector, and at a regional level through the Climate Action Regional Offices (CAROs). They are also responsible for monitoring progress towards achieving targets. This significantly enhances the national evidence base on delivery.

The Climate Action Officer works closely alongside the Climate Action Coordinator to support them in designing and delivering climate action strategies and policies. The Climate Action Officer also drives organisational change initiatives which enables effective delivery, while also building capacity across the partnerships local authorities work with.

A dedicated Community Climate Officer is also funded under the Climate Action Fund (CAF) Community Climate Action Programme - Strand 1 by the Department. Find out more on the department's website.

Climate Action Regional Offices

In 2018, four Climate Action Regional Offices (CAROs) were formed as a local authority shared service in recognition of the need to build capacity within the local government sector to respond and adapt to climate change. The CAROs play an important role in ensuring that cross-sectoral climate issues are identified and addressed.

A commitment was made by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications to provide €10 million in funding over a 5-year period. A regional structure of the CAROs was designed to ensure that the local authorities share similar characteristics and climate risks.

(5 local authorities)|

(5 local authorities)|

The CAROs are situated within four local authorities which serve as the hosts for the climate offices, and provide a shared service function within the local government sector.

€12 million in funding was committed by the Department in 2023 for a further six years (2023-2029) for the CAROs to continue their work in supporting local government to coordinate and deliver climate actions and to assist them in developing their local authority climate plans.

Local Authority Climate Action Training Programme

In 2021, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications signed a Service Level Agreement with Kildare County Council to provide funding for three years (2021-2023) of €1,575,000 for the Local Authority Climate Action Training Programme 2021-2023.

The programme delivers training to local authority staff and elected members to increase understanding of climate change and the need for action. Building climate action capacity in the local authorities is essential to support their leadership role and build climate resilience.

The 2021-2023 training programme delivered approximately 27,000 training places to 22,500 local authority staff and elected members by the end of December 2023. It covered a broad range of course material such as climate science, climate policy and the role of the local authorities in promoting positive climate action.

The Department is currently developing a new Service Level Agreement to continue to fund the Local Authority Climate Action Training Programme for 2024-2027. The programme will assist staff with the implementation of their local authority climate action plans.

Climate Action Plan 2024

Climate Action Plan 2024, published in December 2023, is the third annual update to Ireland's Climate Action Plan and the second such update prepared under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. The plan has been approved by Government, subject to SEA and AA, and a public consultation is currently underway.

The plan details actions, measures and policies across a number of areas, including six vital, high-impact sectors:

• powering renewables
• building better
• transforming how we travel
• making family farms more sustainable
• greening business and enterprise, and
• changing our land use