Council seeks €1.38M to tackle emissions
A total €1.38 million is being sought by Cavan County Council to support its Climate Action Plan, 2023.
These funds will be used on measures to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency and facilitate the achievement of national goals set under the Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan.
As part of Budget 2023, the Government announced an extra €150 million in capital allocation to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
The issue was discussed at the recent Ballyjamesduff Municipal District Meeting as councillors expressed their gratitude to outdoor council workers who completed jobs in the extreme wet and frosty conditions in recent weeks and months.
“Global warming is tough to live with,” was the verdict of Fine Gael Councillor, T.P. O’Reilly.
Cavan’s Economic and Community Plan is currently under review. Speaking about the Council’s plans for 2023 in the local authority’s recent Budget publication, Chief Executive Tommy Ryan said: “An advisory group has been established to help guide this review.
“Consultation in relation to the plan will take place early in the new year and it is expected that the revised plan will be placed before the council for adoption in mid-2023 with a view to setting out the economic and community objectives for the county for the next six years.”
The Climate Change and Low Carbon Act frames Ireland's legally binding target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030.
During 2023 Cavan County Council will be required to adopt a Climate Action Plan. Under the plan, the council will be responsible for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from across its own assets and infrastructure, while also taking on a broader role of influencing and facilitating business, the community, residents, and others to achieve their own targets.
Sectoral emission ceilings and targets have been set by Government.
The council confirmed that there is a 45% target for reduction of carbon from public buildings by 2030 versus 2018.
A 25% reduction in agriculture and a 35% reduction in the industry sector are also targetted.
“The delivery of these revised council policies up to 2030 will be challenging. All the council's policies and services will need to be adapted to support the objectives in the County Development, the revised Local Economic and Community Plan, the Climate Action Plan and the increasing population, which grew by 6.6% since the last census,” said Mr Ryan.
“The council will need to have resources in place to create synergy between all its plans and strategies to help generate jobs in the local economy, to enable engagement with our citizens, to reduce the carbon footprint and improve the quality of life in the county,” he concluded.