Council backs 'Our Power, Our Planet’ on Earth Day

This Earth Day, Cavan County Council stands with communities across Ireland and the world to support the 2025 theme: ‘Our Power, Our Planet.’ Cavan County Council has long been an advocate for environmental protection and sustainability. The local authority continues to roll out initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions, conserving resources, and encouraging stronger connections with the natural world.

Ongoing projects

Tree Planting Campaigns:

Partnering with schools and community groups to plant native trees across the county—enhancing biodiversity and capturing carbon.

Eco-friendly Workshops:

Regular public workshops on composting, energy efficiency, and waste reduction help residents adopt sustainable habits.

Spring Clean Month: As part of National Spring Clean, the council supports residents, community groups, and Tidy Towns volunteers in litter picks and clean-ups across Cavan.

Green Transportation Initiatives: Promoting walking, cycling, and public transport while expanding EV charging infrastructure to reduce fossil fuel reliance.

Empowering Communities Through Funding

In 2024, the Cavan County Council committed over €771,961.44 to local climate action under the Community Climate Action Programme:

* Strand 1: Building Low Carbon Communities

€439,000 was awarded to 17 community groups to implement projects focused on energy, travel, food and waste, recycling, and local environmental action.

* Strand 1a: Shared Island Community Climate Action

An additional €332,961.14 was awarded to five cross-border projects involving 10 community groups from Cavan and Northern Ireland, promoting cooperation on climate action across communities

- Installation of solar panels and energy-efficient upgrades

- Creation of bike parking and promotion of active travel

- Tree planting and biodiversity enhancement

- Water conservation, repair cafés, and recycling initiatives

The goal is simple: to help communities shape a sustainable, low-carbon future—and contribute to Ireland’s national climate and energy targets.

Progress on Renewable Energy

Cavan County Council continues to back the local energy transition through practical, people-focused programmes:

One key initiative is the Retrofit Ready programme, delivered by Cavan County Local Development (CCLD) and supported by the council.

This programme empowers homeowners and community groups with the knowledge, supports, and tools to plan and undertake deep energy retrofits—reducing energy bills, improving home comfort and lowering emissions.

Cavan County Council is proud to champion local business leadership through the Green for Business programmes and the Energy Efficiency Grants awarded by the LEO office in Cavan. These programmes support businesses in taking real action to improve energy efficiency, reduce waste, and transition toward cleaner operations.

Alongside these efforts, Cavan County Council actively supports all Sustainable Energy Communities (SECs) across the county. These community-led groups are central to shaping a local, bottom-up energy transition. From energy audits to project planning, we’re committed to helping SECs drive real, measurable change.

What You Can Do

Earth Day takes place annually on April 22 to promote environmental awareness and action worldwide. In Cavan, there are many simple ways you can take part and make a real difference:

* Plant a tree or support local rewilding

* Join ‘Don’t Mow, Let It Grow’ in May to support pollinators

* Avoid harmful chemicals—choose alternatives to pesticides

* Grow native Irish plants to boost local biodiversity

* Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—minimise waste and rethink your consumption

* Switch to LED bulbs and cut unnecessary energy use

* Walk or cycle more, and reduce car trips when possible

* Buy local food produce where possible

* Join a community group, SEC, or Tidy Towns team

* Learn about renewable energy—solar, heat pumps, and green tariffs

* Adopt a Green Kilometre—help maintain, clean, and plant native trees on a stretch of road

* Use sustainable transport, including Local Link Cavan-Monaghan (Visit locallinkcm.ie for routes and timetables)

Looking Ahead

Earth Day isn’t just about awareness—it’s about action. As global efforts ramp up to triple renewable energy by 2030, Cavan County Council will continue to lead by example and support local communities in every step of this transition.

The next phase of the Community Climate Action Fund is expected to open later in 2025.

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