Date: 02 Feb 2023
Community Climate Action Fund and Shared Island Fund
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, has announced funding of €24 million for Local Authorities to support and build low carbon communities across the country. A further €3 million is being provided to support cross-border and all-island community climate action initiatives.
This funding is part of the Community Climate Action Programme, which supports projects and initiatives that facilitate community climate action through education, capacity building and learning by doing.
Today, Minister Ryan launched strand 1/1a of the programme, which is designed to resource Local Authorities to work in partnership with communities. Specifically, the programme supports direct engagement with communities to promote and assist in the scale up of community climate action.
The 2023 Climate Action Plan highlights how communities can benefit from the low carbon transition. This means warmer, more efficient homes; better travel options; more liveable towns and cities; more sustainable consumer choices; and a better environment for future generations. This next strand of the Community Climate Action Programme empowers communities to realise these benefits.
There are two strands in this phase that address direct climate action, and climate education and capacity building.
Strand 1 requires the appointment of dedicated Community Climate Action Officers (CCAO) in Local Authorities to guide and support communities from the very start. Community projects eligible for this guidance and potential funding will address the following five themes:
- Home/energy
- Travel
- Food and waste
- Shopping and recycling
- Local climate and environmental action
Strand 1a — 'Shared Island Community Climate Action' — funded by the Shared Island Fund, will address the same five themes as strand 1 and have a clear North/South basis, with a cross-border partnership approach and impact. This will enable communities and Local Authorities to propose a cross-border project in partnership with organisations in Northern Ireland. At least 50% of awarded funding will be for project delivery in Northern Ireland.
Climate Action Fund
The Climate Action Fund was established on a statutory basis in 2020 to provide support for projects, initiatives and research that contribute to the achievement of Ireland’s climate and energy targets. The fund also supports projects and initiatives in regions of the State, and within sectors of the economy, impacted by the transition to a low carbon economy. The fund is resourced mainly from proceeds from the levy paid to the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) in respect of relevant disposals of petroleum products, after the funding requirements of NORA have been met.
Further information on the Climate Action Fund is available on the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications's website.
Shared Island Fund
The Shared Island Fund provides ring-fenced resourcing to enable the delivery of the government’s all-island investment commitments under the Programme for Government and the National Development Plan.
In July 2022, the government allocated €3 million from the Fund for Shared Island Community Climate Action. This will support cross-border or all-island projects that have a clear North/South basis and contribute to climate and energy targets on the island of Ireland.
Projects will include at least one partner in Northern Ireland and at least 50% of awarded funding will be for project delivery in Northern Ireland.
Further information on the government’s Shared Island Initiative and Fund is available on the Government of Ireland website.