Climate action

Clare Climate Action Plan 2024 - 2029

• The Clare Climate Action Plan 2024-2029 sets out key actions that will support County Clare in its transition to becoming a climate resilient, biodiversity rich, environmentally sustainable and climate neutral economy by 2050. The actions of the plan not only look at how Clare County Council can transform its own operations and services, but also addresses what other organisations the Council can partner with and what supports it can give to local communities and individuals.

Community Climate Action Programme

• The overall objective of the Community Climate Action Programme is to support and empower communities, in partnership with their Local Authority, to shape and build low carbon, sustainable communities in a coherent way to contribute to national climate and energy targets. The Programme aims to support small and large, rural and urban communities to take climate action. This programme supports direct engagement with communities to both promote and assist in the scale up of community climate action from the respective starting points of the communities.
• The Community Climate Action Programme has been developed under two strands addressing both direct climate action, and climate education and capacity building. A total of €572,000 has been allocated to Clare County Council to work in partnership with communities, large and small, rural and urban, within County Clare to build low carbon communities in a considered and structured way. The projects will take action across at least one, preferably several, of the following five themes: Community and Energy, Travel, Food and waste, Shopping and recycling, Local climate and environmental action.
• The Community Climate Action Programme Strand 1 and 1a closed for submissions of Expression of Interest (applications) at 5:00PM on 28th of February 2024. Applicants will be updated in due course with regards to the status of their application.

Energy and carbon reduction

• Clare County Council is responsible for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from across its own assets and infrastructure, whilst also taking on a broader role of influencing and facilitating others to meet their own targets. The National Climate Action Plan sets out that the public sector must improve its energy efficiency by 50% by 2030, based on a 2009 baseline and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030, based on a 2018 baseline.
• Reductions of over 1,000,000 kg C02 have been achieved to date with examples of carbon reduction initiatives implemented in Clare County Council facilities and assets including public lighting upgrades, biomass heating systems and solar energy generation.

Climate action in practice

Reduce your use

• The Reduce Your Use campaign is part of a whole-of-government national campaign in collaboration with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to reduce energy use through the winter months. For information on the campaign and tips to reduce your energy consumption visit Clare County Council's Reduce Your Use Engagement Page.

Sustainable development goals

• Clare County Council has been selected as one of 26 organisations to participate in the Sustainable Development Goal Champions Programme 2023-2024. The Council’s selection means it will now be among the leaders in driving forward Ireland’s progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For information on the SDG's advice on how to integrate these into your life or business visit Clare County Council's Sustainable Development Goals Engagement Page.

Climate adaptation strategy

• Clare County Council’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2019-2024 created a roadmap of goals and objectives across six thematic areas to adapt to the effects of climate change and safeguard our way of life. Taking proactive action to adjust and prepare for a changing climate supports building resilience in our economy, environment and communities.
• Clare County Council’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy with its accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Screening Report and Appropriate Assessment (AA) Screening Report was adopted by Clare County Council on the 16th September 2019.

Getting to Clare County Council

• Clare County Council's headquarters, Áras Contae and Chláir, is centrally located in Ennis and is accessible by active and public forms of transport. Clare County Council's Climate Action Team has produced the Getting Here: Áras Contae and Chláir guide informing visitors of the options available for travelling to our headquarters.

Climate jargon buster

• The Climate Jargon Buster is a resource that helps explain common climate action terms in plain English. The explanations are designed to help describe ideas and concepts rather than to give strict scientific definitions.