Helen Smith, Climate Action Officer; Cllr Philip Brady, Cathaoirleach, Cavan County Council; Paddy Connaughton, Director of Services; Eoin Doyle, Chief Executive; Colm O’Callaghan, Acting Senior Engineer; Bróna Keating, Climate Action Coordinator and Tara Smith, Community Climate Action Officer.

New Fund to Support Community Climate Action in Cavan

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Cavan County Council is allocating €439,000 to community organisations across the county to support them to take collective action on climate change.

The Community Climate Action Fund, financed by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), is open for applications from today (Wednesday), December 13. Cavan County Council is inviting not-for-profit community groups to develop and deliver projects around one, or ideally more than one, of the following themes: Community and Energy, Travel, Food and Waste, Shopping and Recycling and Local Climate and Environmental Action.

The overall objective of the Community Climate Action Programme is to support and empower communities to shape and build low carbon, sustainable communities in a coherent way to contribute to national climate and energy targets.

The funding is for investment in small (up to €20,000), medium (€20,000-€50,000), and large-scale (€51,000-€100,000) community climate action projects.

There are two funding streams available:

• Strand 1: Action: Building Low Carbon Communities:

County Cavan has been allocated a total of €439,000 under this strand to work in partnership with communities, small and large, rural and urban, within the county to build low carbon communities in a considered and structured way.

• Strand 1a: Shared Island Community Climate Action:

A total of €3 million is available nationally to support cross-border and all-island community climate action partnerships between community organisations North and South of the border.

The Community Climate Action Programme will support the delivery of Cavan’s new Climate Action Plan 2024-2029, which is in the final stages of development. The plan aims to position County Cavan as a leader of climate action and to strengthen the delivery of effective climate action at local and community levels.

Applications

Online applications under the Community Climate Action Programme will be available at www.cavancoco.ie/climate-action from 9am on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, and will close at 4pm on Wednesday, February 28, 2024.

Ahead of the launch of the Community Climate Action Programme, Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr Philip Brady said: “I’m delighted to see applications for the Community Climate Action Programme open. This programme will provide the necessary funding for community groups to undertake local climate action projects that will positively contribute to meeting Ireland’s national targets for carbon reduction.”

Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, Eoin Doyle said: “Management, staff, and the elected members of Cavan County Council are very much aware of the responsibility and challenges facing the County with regard to taking climate action locally. We all have a responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint and only by working together collectively, can we work towards achieving 50% carbon emission reductions by 2030. Sustainability and carbon reduction targets will influence decision making across council functions, whether in respect of planning decisions, housing, water services, road infrastructure or the energy rating of council buildings.”

For more information on the Community Climate Action Programme or to make an appointment to discuss your potential project please email the Community Climate Action Officer, Tara Smith, at tarasmith@cavancoco.ie or call 087 675 9129. Further information clinics will be held in January and details will be published on our website and social media channels.

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