Community Climate Action Programme
Welcome to the South Dublin Community Climate Action Programme hub.
Strand 1 of the programme will see €1.073 million available for local, not-for-profit community groups/organisations in South Dublin County to undertake local climate action projects over an initial 18-month period. Applications for funding will be accepted until 4pm on 27th March 2024.
Additional funding, under Strand 1a, is available for projects with both a local and Northern Ireland aspect. The Strand 1a application window also closes at 4pm on the 27th March 2024.
Please review the Programme Guide for more information on the Programme.
Project Priorities
In order to streamline the assessment process, applicants are invited to prioritise each element of their submission. In the budget section of the application form, each item can be listed in order of priority i.e. 1. Solar Panels; 2. LED lighting etc.
Multiple project themes
Project proposals must be developed to take climate action across as many of the five programme themes (contained in the Programme Guide), as possible.
Aims of the Programme
Ireland is aiming to become a climate neutral economy and resilient society by 2050. To achieve a climate neutral economy, it is about dramatically reducing the amount of greenhouse gases (see above definition) that we release into the atmosphere. To achieve a resilient society, we need to adapt our communities to be better prepared to face the impacts of climate change, for example flooding or heat.
Communities can play a critical role in driving such positive change. South Dublin County Council, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, will support this through the Community Climate Action Programme.
The overall objective of the Programme is to support and empower communities, in partnership with SDCC, to shape and build low carbon, sustainable communities in a considered and structured way to contribute to national climate and energy targets.
Projects should seek to maximise the wider gain to the community as much as possible.
How it Works
The Community Climate Action Programme has two strands, strand 1 and strand 1a.
Strand 1 - For Local Community Climate Projects
A total of €1.073 million is available for community groups in South Dublin over an initial 18-month period. Strand 1 will support three levels of projects:
Strand 1a - For All-Island Community Climate Projects with Local Impact
In addition, a total of €3 million is being provided by the Government’s Shared Island Fund to support cross-border[1] and all-island[2] community climate action initiatives as an integrated part of the Community Climate Action Programme.
Strand 1a projects must have a clear North/South basis, with a cross-border partnership approach and impact. At least 50% of awarded funding will be for project delivery in Northern Ireland. Strand 1a enables community groups in South Dublin and SDCC to propose a cross-border project in partnership with organisations in Northern Ireland. The €3 million Shared Island Fund resourcing is not pre-allocated to individual local authorities in the Republic such as SDCC. Instead, all local authorities in this jurisdiction can assess an application received under strand 1a and make a recommendation for funding to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
Both Strand 1 & Strand 1a will support three levels of projects:
Small scale projects | Small-sized projects up to €19,999 |
Medium scale projects | Medium sized projects valued in the range of €20,000 - €50,000 |
Large scale projects | Larger projects in the range of €51,000 - €100,000 |
[1] Cross-border projects involve projects that are both north and south of the border. [2] All-island projects are broader than cross-border projects and could involve multiple projects across Ireland.
Taking Action on Climate Change
What is Climate Change
While weather is what we experience over a short period of time, for example days and hours, climate is the average pattern of weather you might expect over decades. Through human activities, Ireland, along with the rest of the world, has warmed by 1.1 °C above the 1850-1900 average[1]. A change of 1.1 °C is significant because it takes a huge amount of warming to change this long term average. Indeed, 2022 was confirmed by Met Éireann as the warmest year we’ve faced since records began.
Understanding Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
The systems that we interact with everyday, our buildings, the electricity network, our modes of transport, our food and waste systems, and the systems that produce the goods and services that we buy have all been built on practices that release greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when we use them.
Greenhouse gas emissions are invisible gases – namely, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases - that, when released into our atmosphere, trap heat, acting like a blanket. This has caused the 1.1 °C of warming since 1850-1900.
[1] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC’s) Working Group I Sixth Assessment Report
The Privacy Statement for the Community Climate Action Programme can be viewed here.
