SUSTAINABILITY AND

Cork County Council is playing a key role in Black-tailed Godwits the transition to more sustainable ways of living at Harpers Island by Mark Carmody

Sustainability has become a core “strategic consideration for all organisations, with customers and stakeholders increasingly demanding

a sustainable approach to the delivery Gaelscoil Choráin, being awarded the Green-Flag of services. Cork County Council for Energy at the 2019 Green-Schools Awards Ceremony acknowledges that given the scale of Under the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP), Council services, we have a key role Cork County Council has been set an energy efficiency improvement target of 33% on 2009 energy efficiency to play in leading by example on the figures. To date we have achieved a 20.8% improvement. Much good work has been done and the organisation is rising sustainability agenda.” to the challenge of significant energy use in areas such as fleet operations and public lighting. Tim Lucey - Chief Executive, Public lighting typically accounts for ca 50% of energy Cork County Council use within the Council. With that in mind the Council is Students from Scoil Chlochair Mhuire National School, Carrigtwohill plant a variety of native tree saplings on Harpers Island participating in an ambitious national Public Lighting Energy earlier this year. The planting was funded under the LA 21 grant scheme and organised by Bird Watch Ireland Efficiency Project which aims to retrofit 280,000 public lights (@BirdWatchIreland) and Easy Treesie (@EasytreesIE) nationally. Approximately 30,000 lights are scheduled for replacement in Cork County, once complete this will have a major impact on the Council’s overall energy use. SUPPORTING developing a Wetland Education Centre to raise awareness Local Agenda 21 Funding and appreciation of this unique wild place. Resource Efficiency Building on the aims of the Rio Earth Summit of 1992, the Significant progress has been made over the past few years, Endeavouring to continually improve the Councils resource Local Agenda 21 Environmental Partnership Fund has been with the construction of a beautiful bird hide (designed by efficiency, the Environmental Awareness team are currently operating since 1997. Co-funded by the Council and the our County Architect), and the creation of wetland scrapes. carrying out a series of waste and water characterisation Department of Climate Change & Environment (DCCAE) Grasslands are being actively managed for biodiversity, and studies as part of the ‘Green Workplace project’, funded by the annual grant scheme looks to promote sustainable works are ongoing to control the spread of invasive alien the Environmental Protection Agency. The results of these development by assisting small-scale projects at local level. species. characterisations will assist in further improving the Councils While the site is owned by the Council, the great work performance in water conservation, reuse, recycling and in Eligible projects are those which support and complement at undertaken has very much been a collaboration between developing a culture where waste prevention is the default a local level, national environmental objectives in areas such as BirdWatch Ireland, the National Parks & Wildlife Service and corporate response. waste, biodiversity, climate change, air and water quality. Glounthane Coummunity Association, incorporating their Tidy Towns and Men’s Shed organisations. Funding has been Sustainable Housing provided from various sources including the Town and Village Anti-Litter Challenge Renewal Scheme, Outdoor Recreation Scheme, National Energy efficiency is at the heart of the Council’s housing Cork County Council was the first local authority to run an Biodiversity Action Plan and from the Council itself. However strategy. All new builds are now typically built to an ‘A’ annual inter community anti-litter competition. Now in its we readily acknowledge that nothing sustainable would energy rating standard, utilising new space and water heating 23rd year, 108 towns and villages took part in the challenge in have been achieved on the island without the huge level of technologies e.g. PV panels and heat pumps. Retrofitting of voluntary work undertaken by local Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, existing housing stock has also seen significant investment 2018, with a total prize fund of over €40,000. T.D (R)., joined by Chief Executive The 2019 competition is already underway. community groups. with over 4,000 of the Council’s 7,500 stock of homes already of Cork County Council Tim Lucey (L) and Cormac benefitting from energy efficiency upgrades. This has involved The success of the competition is clear to see O’Suilleabhain, Senior Engineer Cork County Council the installation of heat pumps, window and door upgrades, in towns and villages throughout the county Remediation (C) visited Haulbowline Island to mark the substantial cavity, external wall and attic insulation, all funded through a each year. It is a prime example of how the Project completion of the remediation of the former East Tip mix of internal, central government and SEAI sources. most sustainable solutions are nearly always Going Greener Haulbowline, in the heart of Cork delivered by local communities working in project on the East Tip. In what was a huge engineering partnership with their council. Harbour, is headquarters to the who for many years shared challenge, the remediation works have transformed the site ADAPTING from a a blight on the lower harbour to a landscaped park and the island with Ireland’s only steelworks Climate Action Regional Office (CARO) 30,000 which operated from 1939 until its recreational area which resonates with its local neighbours PROTECTING closure in 2001. Over that 40 year period and adds to the growing number of amenites in the lower Climate Change is the great challenge of our time. Cork County PUBLIC LIGHTS harbour area. Harpers Ireland it is estimated that around 650,000 Council, supported by UCC and CIT, is the lead authority for WILL BE cubic metres of by-products and waste the Climate Action Regional Office (CARO)-Atlantic Seaboard from the steel production process South Region. The office will have a key role in implementing Harpers Island is a wonderful example of what UPGRADED TO can be done when people and organisations were deposited on the “East Tip”, the IMPROVING national climate policy. CARO are tasked with developing work together to protect biodiversity. A HIGH EFFICENCY 9 hectares (22 acres) shallow sand spit a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for the region by very important area for overwintering birds, which extends eastwards from the Naval Energy Management the end of September 2019, which must anticipate the LED LANTERNS dockyard. adverse effects of climate change for the region, identify the the island forms part of the Great Island The challenge of sustainability brings with it an increased Channel Special Area of Conservation (SAC) IN appropriate actions to prevent or minimise its impact, while In 2011, on foot of a Government decision, focus on certified systems for managing environmental taking advantage of any positive opportunities that may arise. and the Special Protection CORK COUNTY impacts. Area (SPA). The vision for Harpers Island is the Minister for Agriculture, Food & to enhance its biodiversity value, as well as Marine asked Cork County Council to In May 2016 Cork County Council became the first local be its agent in overseeing a remediation authority in Ireland to achieve ISO 50001-2011 certification for its Energy Management System and repeated the feat earlier SUSTAINABLE FUTURE this year by becoming the first local authority to become ISO of the County of Cork, Cllr. Patrick Gerard Murphy 50001-2018 certified. stresses the key role local authorities will play in the transition to more sustainable ways of living. The Council’s Energy Management Team acknowledge the benefit of certification in supporting structured energy management systems, promoting awareness among staff and encouraging a culture that champions best practice. “Government strategy has long recognised The Energy Management Team look at all energy use within the the crucial role played by local government in Council, including electricity, thermal energy and transport fuels. translating national sustainable development policies into tangible practical local actions. The range of services delivered by Cork County Council means we are uniquely placed to play a lead role in sustainable development, both in terms of our own activities and also in supporting local communities and businesses. The impact of climate change means sustainable development can no longer be an aspiration, it is now an undeniable necessity. We owe it to the young people of Cork to ensure that our decisions don’t compromise their future!”

Cllr. Patrick Gerard Murphy, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Patrick Gerard Murphy with Katherine Corkery, Cork County Council at the launch of Reuse Mayor of the County of Cork Republic, a Council event highlighting awareness of reuse activities across the county Enthusiastic litter pickers in Charleville, North Cork

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