Climate Action News | March

Welcome to Climate Action News, March 2024

In this edition: Active travel and home energy upgrade wins, progress report on Government’s Climate Action Plan, Dublin’s vision for zero, and biodiversity in flood protection.

Also, events, resources and consultations - scroll to noticeboard for all the latest.

Active travel takes 680,000 cars off road

The National Transport Authority has published the findings of the largest-ever survey of walking, wheeling, and cycling in Ireland, revealing that walking and cycling take 680,000 cars off the roads every day in Ireland's five largest cities.? The annual economic benefit from walking, wheeling and cycling in the five Metropolitan Areas each year is over €3 billion. Read the largest ever survey of its kind here.

Climate Action Plan report shows 65% delivery

The latest progress report on last year’s Climate Action Plan show two thirds of actions were achieved, while standalone delivery rates for quarter four were at 60%.

There were significant achievements in renewable energy, active travel, and funding in 2023, but the results make clear the challenges ahead to reach legally binding EU and national emissions reduction targets.

Details on the uncompleted actions are included in the fourth progress report, available to read here.

Climate discussions in Dublin engage 200 people

The Fifth National Climate Stakeholder Forum took place February 28th in the Convention Centre Dublin. Following outputs from the previous forums, the National Youth Assembly on Climate, as well as the 2023 Climate Conversations, the event brought together 200 stakeholders and policy makers to focus on engagement on climate action.

During the day attendees heard updates on the work of the six climate action taskforces (Land Use Review, Sustainable Mobility, Just Transition, Heat and Built Environment, Off-Shore Wind & Accelerating Renewable Energy and Climate Communications and Engagement), as well as presentations highlighting best practice engagement on climate action from groups across Ireland.

SEAI publishes home energy upgrades report

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) gave out 47,900 Government-funded home energy upgrades last year, according to the latest data.

That’s an increase of 76% on 2022 numbers.

Read the report on the SEAI website here.

Taking Climate Action: Are you an SDG Champion?

Organisations are invited to submit for the 2024-2025 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Champions Programme.

For the 2023-2024 Programme, 26 Champions were named, ranging from Rush Tidy Town, to Sustainable Life School, and including larger organisations such as An Post, and Irish Rail.

Applications will be accepted in written or video format up until 5pm, Monday 1 April 2024.

Find out more here.

Powering Prosperity strategy launched

The newly published Powering Prosperity: Ireland’s Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy outlines the Government’s intention to build a successful, vibrant, and impactful new offshore wind energy (OWE) sector by the end of this decade, and to ensure that sector creates significant value and up to 5,000 jobs.

It outlines 40 targeted actions for implementation in 2024 and 2025.

Powering Prosperity forms a key part in the whole-of-Government approach to delivering on the offshore renewable energy targets. Read about it here.

Taking Climate Action: Dublin City Council's Vision

Dublin City Council has launched its visionary Climate Action Plan 2024-2029, which contains its ambition of a Climate Neutral Dublin by 2030.

Climate Neutral Dublin 2030 sets out the actions that Dublin City Council is taking to prepare the city and people living there for the known impacts of climate change, such as floods, as well as how the City Council will mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to limiting global warming.

Read how residents of the city are being invited to take action and make changes towards a more sustainable lifestyle here. C

Noticeboard

Consultations

1.??The Public Consultation on Climate Action Plan 2024 is open for submissions until 5 April.

Visit gov.ie to participate.

2.??The Draft Specification for Leaving Certificate Climate Action & Sustainable Development is open for public consultation until Friday 5 April 2024 on the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment website.

Events & opportunities

1.??Save the date for the annual EPA Circular Economy Conference 2024.

The event takes place in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Wednesday 25th September 2024.

For more, visit the EPA website.

2. The 10th TRA (Transport Research Arena) conference is happening in Dublin between 15-18 April 2024.

This event gathers individuals and organisations in the shared pursuit of knowledge and innovation in the field of transportation and mobility.

Check out the programme here.

3. Secondary schools interested in piloting the new Senior Cycle subject of Climate Action and Sustainable Development are invited to apply.? ?

The course will be introduced from the start of the next school year. Schools participating in the first phase will be provided with a package of supports.

Submit an application before 19 April 2024.?

4. Support Irish entrant the Wild Atlantic Nature LIFE project in their attempt to win Europe’s Natura 2000 Award.

They have been shortlisted for their Results Based Agri Environment Scheme, which involves working with farmers on the restoration of blanket bogs.

The winners will be decided on the basis of a public vote at this link.

Votes will be accepted up until April 25th.

Resources

1.? New European climate risk assessment.

The EUCRA report builds on and complements the existing knowledge base on climate impacts and risks for Europe, is the first-of-its-kind assessment is synthesised with the aim to support strategic policymaking.

2.? Check out over a year’s worth of data in the Consumer Sentiment and Reported Behaviour around Energy series, carried out by Amárach Research, on behalf of the Government here.

3.??Sign up for the Climate Ireland Adaptation Network newsletter by emailing?[email protected].

This news update gives quick round up of recent national and international adaptation-related items of interest.

4.?The Environmental Protection Agency has published its latest wave of research from the?Climate Change in the Irish Mind series.?

5. Check out RTé’s online climate resource at rte.ie

6.?Friends of the Earth and Bohemians Football Club have published their “Levelling the Playing Field” report, which examines how sports clubs can engage fans and members on community-led climate action, specifically home retrofitting and heat pump installation.

The local Credit Union, SEAI, industry professionals and Codema (Dublin’s Energy Agency) collaborated on developing community-specific solutions to enhance energy efficiency initiatives amongst Bohs fans, such as tailored finance, trust-building with local contractors, and formation of a local Sustainable Energy Community.

7.?If you want to cut down on Ireland’s food waste, which is a significant contributor to carbon emissions, sign up for the Too Good To Go initiative here, or download the app.

8.?For those living in Dublin and you would like to provide opinions and views on what you love, like and would be glad to see improved in the capital region, including on transport and climate, sign up for Dublin City Council’s Your Dublin, Your Voice survey mechanism here.

9. The latest episode of Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) podcast ‘180 Degrees’ discusses how SEAI is supporting businesses to decarbonise and save on energy costs with Fergus Sharkey, Head of Business Supports & Transport with SEAI and Tina Dowling, CEO of The Watershed, home of sport and leisure in Kilkenny.?

10.?The March issue of the Department of Education’s Education for Sustainable Development Newsletter has been published with details on the rollout of new Leaving Cert subject Climate Change and Sustainable Development, as well as competitions, free resources for schools, CPD opportunities, and all the latest in ESD news!

Subscribe to receive the newsletter every quarter here.

Biodiversity as part of flood relief schemes

The work for biodiversity on the Templemore Flood Relief represents an excellent example of how biodiversity can be protected in the course of an engineering project.

Some 160 individual biodiversity enhancement components were built into the scheme to protect fish and animals and their respective environments and allow vegetation to flourish in the channels.

The Scheme when complete will protect 110 homes and businesses in the County Tipperary town.

Brought to you by the Government of Ireland