A Profile of Local Government Climate Actions in Ireland
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A PROFILE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIMATE ACTIONS IN IRELAND JANUARY 2020 LGMA RESEARCH DR D. CLARKE AND DR B. O’DONOGHUE-HYNES ISBN: 978-1-9996982-1-8 A PROFILE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIMATE ACTIONS IN IRELAND JANUARY 2020 LGMA RESEARCH DR D. CLARKE AND DR B. O’DONOGHUE-HYNES This document should be cited as: Clarke, D. and O’DonoghueHynes, B. (2020) A Profile of Local Government Climate Actions in Ireland. Dublin: Local Government Management Agency. A PROFILE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIMATE ACTIONS IN IRELAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Acknowledgements This research was carried out by Dr Darren Clarke and Dr Bernie Special thanks to Louis Duffy, Director of Services, Cork County O’Donoghue-Hynes of the Local Government Management Agency Council, and to Teresa Walsh, Director of Services, South Dublin (LGMA) Research Unit, on behalf of the County and City Management County Council and former National Local Authority Climate Action IN IRELAND ACTIONS CLIMATE GOVERNMENT OF LOCAL A PROFILE Association’s Environment, Climate Change and Emergency Planning Steering Group member, who engaged in discussions about the Committee. The members of the Committee are: design of the questionnaire and provided reference materials. Also, Dr Barry O’Dwyer, University College Cork Centre for Marine and Paddy Mahon Chief Executive, Longford County Council Renewable Energy Ireland, for participating in the questionnaire (Chairperson) design workshop and Mark Adamson, Office of Public Works, for his Ciarán Hayes Chief Executive, Sligo County Council input on flood risks. John Mulholland Chief Executive, Laois County Council In addition, we are grateful for the support of our colleague Ciaran Joan Martin Chief Executive, Louth County Council Hyde, who played a key role in co-ordinating communications Céline Reilly Executive Manager, Dublin City Council between the Local Government Management Agency Research Unit Donal Brennan Director of Service, Laois County Council Sean Quirke Director of Service, Wicklow County Council and the various committees supporting this research. A special thanks Carmel Kirby Director of Service, Clare County Council to Sharon Toure, a Trinity College Dublin Master’s student on Gilbert Power Director of Service, Fingal County Council placement with the LGMA, who also provided research and Valerie O’Sullivan Director of Service, Cork City Council administrative support to the authors. Patricia Monahan Director of Service, Monaghan County Council The questionnaire issued to local authorities was lengthy and John Carley Director of Service, Wexford County Council detailed, and required co-ordination across multiple sections of each John Condon Director of Service, Mayo County Council local authority. We are very grateful to all staff involved directly in The authors would like to thank all members of the Committee for their completing or co-ordinating the completion of the questionnaire and ongoing support and feedback while the research was being undertaken. providing details for the case studies. Finally, the authors are Particular thanks are due to Paddy Mahon, Céline Reilly, Ciarán Hayes particularly grateful to all staff members in the four Climate Action and John Mulholland who, on behalf of the Committee, engaged with Regional Offices who engaged in consultation throughout the researchers on an ongoing basis to provide advice on the direction and process. Through a series of meetings, workshops and email | format of the research. We also wish to convey our appreciation to the correspondence, the four Climate Action Regional Office Co- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS members of the National Local Authority Climate Action Steering Group ordinators and their support staff engaged in the design of the who contributed to the design of the research and who provided feedback questionnaire; they took a lead role in collection of the questionnaire when requested. The members of the Committee are: and case study data from the local authorities in their region; and, they assisted in the interpretation of findings. Staff members Ciarán Hayes Chief Executive, Sligo County Council consulted were: (Chairperson) Peter Carey Chief Executive, Kildare County Council Alan Dunney Eastern and Midlands Co-ordinator Peter Hynes Chief Executive, Mayo County Council Owen Keegan Chief Executive, Dublin City Council Claire Moran Eastern and Midlands Office James Fogarty Deputy Chief Executive, Cork County Council Breda Maher Eastern and Midlands Office Louis Duffy Director of Service, Cork County Council Liam Dromey Atlantic Seaboard South Co-ordinator Céline Reilly Executive Manager, Dublin City Council Maeve Bowen Atlantic Seaboard South Office Joe Boland Director of Service, Kildare County Council David Dodd Dublin Metropolitan Co-ordinator Martin Keating Head of Environment, Climate Change and Agriculture, Mayo County Council Niamh Ní Cholmáin Dublin Metropolitan Office Matt Crowe Director, Environmental Protection Agency Yvonne Cannon Dublin Metropolitan Office Brian Carroll Assistant Secretary General, Department of Anthony McNamara Dublin Metropolitan Office Communications, Climate Action and Environment David Mellett Atlantic Seaboard North Co-ordinator Mark Adamson Assistant Chief Engineer, Office of Public Works Eoin Moran Director, Met Éireann Margaret Desmond Manager, Environmental Protection Agency Darren Clarke Bernie O’Donoghue-Hynes PAGE 3 A PROFILE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIMATE ACTIONS IN IRELAND CONTENTS Acknowledgements 3 3 Results 21 3.1 Introduction 22 List of figures 6 3.2 Convening an adaptation team 22 3.3 Assessing current adaptation baseline 23 List of tables 7 3.4 Identifying future climate impacts, vulnerabilities and risks 25 List of appendices 7 3.5 Critical infrastructure 27 3.5.1 Introduction 28 3.5.2 Energy efficiency 28 List of abbreviations 7 3.5.3 Public lighting 32 CONTENTS CONTENTS | 3.5.4 Renewable energy 33 Foreword 8 3.5.5 Local authority vehicle fleet 36 3.5.6 Planning and public realm 37 Executive summary 9 3.5.7 Waste management 39 3.5.8 Summary 40 3.6 Flood risk management and water resources 43 3.6.1 Introduction 44 3.6.2 Flood risk management 44 1 Introduction 11 3.6.3 Responding to flooding 45 1.1 Climate change context 12 3.6.4 Nature-based flood solutions 46 1.2 Responding to climate change 12 3.6.5 Flood defences 47 1.2.1 Ireland’s climate change response – public sector 3.6.6 Water conservation/management 48 leading by example 12 3.6.7 Bathing water quality and safety 48 1.2.2 Mitigation 13 3.6.8 Summary 49 1.2.3 Adaptation 14 3.7 Nature-based solutions 51 1.2.4 Emergency response to extreme weather 15 3.7.1 Introduction 52 1.3 Aim of this research 15 3.7.2 Biodiversity and environment 52 1.4 Contribution of this research 15 3.7.3 Landscape classification assessments 53 1.5 Conclusion 16 3.7.4 Invasive alien species 53 3.7.5 Tree management/urban woodlands 54 A PROFILE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIMATE ACTIONS IN IRELAND IN ACTIONS CLIMATE GOVERNMENT LOCAL OF PROFILE A 2 Methods 17 3.7.6 Green infrastructure 55 2.1 Introduction 18 3.7.7 Public open space and parks 56 2.2 Multiple research methods 18 3.7.8 Pesticide/herbicide usage 57 2.3 Local authority climate change actions questionnaire 18 3.7.9 Green roofs 57 2.3.1 Questionnaire content 18 3.7.10 Environmental awards and designations 58 2.3.2 Questionnaire administration 19 3.7.11 Summary 58 2.3.3 Questionnaire analysis 19 3.8 Services/public engagement 59 2.4 Climate action case studies 19 3.8.1 Introduction 60 2.4.1 Case study content 19 3.8.2 Educational awareness 60 2.4.2 Case study selection criteria 19 3.8.3 Community initiatives 62 2.5 Desk-based research 20 3.8.4 Summary 64 2.6 Conclusion 20 3.9 Conclusion 64 4 PAGE A PROFILE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIMATE ACTIONS IN IRELAND CONTENTS 4 Discussion and conclusions 65 23 Dublin City Council: 4.1 Introduction 66 Bicycle sharing scheme – dublinbikes 94 4.2 Summary of research findings 66 24 Offaly County Council: 4.3 Research limitations/future research 67 Testing roads over peatlands pilot 95 4.4 Conclusion 67 25 Leitrim County Council: Smarter Travel programme 96 5 Case studies 69 26 Regional waste management offices (national): 1 Cork County Council: MyWaste.ie 98 Developing a climate action plan 70 IN IRELAND ACTIONS CLIMATE GOVERNMENT OF LOCAL A PROFILE 27 Donegal County Council: 2 Cork County Council: Extreme weather response – household and Special projects team to consider operational elements of road infrastructure 99 environmental plans 71 28 Clare County Council: 3 South Dublin County Council: Local energy masterplan 72 Extreme weather response – coastal flooding 101 4 Louth County Council: 29 Cavan County Council: Energy efficiency projects 2015-2019 73 Quantifying cost of storm damage 102 5 Waterford City & County Council: 30 Dublin City Council: Better energy communities 74 Nature-based flood relief scheme 103 6 Mayo County Council: 31 Offaly County Council: Designing an ‘A’-rated public building 75 Flood defence scheme – Portavolla 105 7 Galway City Council: 32 Westmeath County Council: Leisure centre energy upgrade 76 Flood defence scheme – Athlone 106 8 South Dublin County Council: 33 Cork County Council: District heating pilot – HeatNet 77 Beach coastal protection works 107 9 Dublin City Council: 34 Longford County Council: Energy performance contracts 78 Preserving biodiversity 108 10 Kilkenny County Council: 35 Galway County Council: Improving public lighting energy efficiency 79 Invasive alien species strategy 109 11 Laois County Council: 36 Limerick City & County Council: Local authority public lighting