1. Introduction

1.1. Purpose of the Climate Action Plan

Climate Change has been identified as the most pressing long-term global challenge of our time. National and local governments are increasingly required to take ambitious action to decrease greenhouse gases emissions that cause climate change (mitigation) and increase resilience to climate change impacts and risks (adaptation).

Galway County Council has prepared this Climate Action Plan 2024-2029, to deliver and support best practice in climate action, at the local level. This Plan has been prepared in accordance with the Local Authority Climate Action Plan Guidelines, published by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in March 2023. It is aligned to the Government’s overall National Climate Objective, which seeks to pursue and achieve, by no later than the end of 2050, the transition to a climate-resilient, biodiversity-rich, environmentally sustainable and climate-neutral economy.

This is set out in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, which also frames Ireland’s legally binding climate ambition, to deliver a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 51% by 2030. This will place the country on a trajectory to achieving climate neutrality by the end of 2050. In preparing the Plan, Galway County Council has also taken account of other relevant legislation and policy and the climate change risk assessment and baseline emissions assessment, which are included as part of this Plan.

The Act requires all local authorities in Ireland to prepare a five-year Climate Action Plan setting out a clear pathway towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the local level through the implementation of mitigation measures and reducing the risk to communities from climate change through adaptation measures.  

• Climate Change Mitigation relates to changing how we live, move, consume and manufacture, to reduce and/or eliminate the production of harmful greenhouse gases.  It also includes how we best use our land; and
• Climate Change Adaptation refers to dealing with the impacts of climate change and involves taking practical actions to manage risks, protect communities and strengthen the resilience of the economy (e.g., from flooding, sea level rise etc).

Achieving these targets will be challenging and will require fundamental changes in many parts of Irish life. In rising to the challenge, we will improve the health, welfare and security of our people, while also protecting our environment and delivering new opportunities.

This is not a standalone document; its goals and objectives will be incorporated into future plans and policies of Galway County Council to ensure climate change is at the forefront of its service delivery. A range of other plans, including the Council’s Corporate Plan and County Development Plan, also support this Climate Action Plan.

The Council will also continue its efforts in rolling out ambitious climate action projects, allowing local communities to thrive and work towards real solutions that are meaningful, inclusive, fair and accessible for all, thereby prioritising a just transition. This is necessary to ensure that the environmental, social and economic benefits that come with climate action, can be fully realised.

1.2. Climate Action Framework

A Local Authority Climate Action Plan is a key instrument to strengthen the links between national and international climate policy and the delivery of effective climate action at local and community levels, through place-based climate action. The intrinsic value of a Local Authority Climate Action Plan is that it plays a significant role in reinforcing the commitment by the local government sector to lead on climate action at local and national levels.

Over its preparation and implementation, this Plan offers an opportunity to bring together critical stakeholders across communities and businesses to build a vision for a climate neutral future. The guiding principals underpinning the Plan is that it should be Ambitious, Action-focused, Evidence-based, Participative and Transparent.

The Climate Action Plan provides a mechanism for bringing together both climate adaptation and climate mitigation actions to help drive positive climate action and outcomes across the local authority and its administrative area. To ensure alignment between potential on- the-ground actions and the vision that the Plan aspires to deliver, actions are arranged within a defined structure, comprising of:

1. An overarching Vision that reflects the shared perspective of a climate resilient and climate neutral future for the County of Galway.
2. A Plan Mission that speaks practically to the grounded purpose of the local authority in delivering effective climate action in County Galway.
3. Strategic Goals that set the context for the climate actions and establish a structured or thematic arrangement of actions.
4. Objectives that support the delivery of the strategic goals whilst framing the appropriate emphasis of the actions.
5. Actions that are specific, realistic, action-focused, time-bound, and measurable reflecting a scaling up of ambitious local level climate action.

1.3.  Environmental Governance

Environmental governance plays a pivotal role in safeguarding our ecosystems and natural resources. Galway County Council ensures that its policies, regulations, and decisions regarding the environment are made with sustainability in mind, balancing its communities needs with the protection of the environment.

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) processes are important mechanisms to ensure that environmental protection and nature conservation management considerations are integrated into the development and implementation of the Local Authority Climate Action Plan.

EU Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive

The Local Authority Climate Action Plan is subject to compliance with the SEA Directive (Directive 2001/42/EC) on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment. SEA is the process by which environmental considerations are required to be fully integrated into the preparation of plans and programmes developed by public authorities, prior to their adoption. SEA is the formal and systematic evaluation of the likely significant effects of implementing any plan or programme on the environment.

The European Communities (Environmental Assessment of Certain Plans and Programmes) Regulations 2004 (S.I. No. 435 of 2004), as amended by S.I. No. 200 of 2011, gives effect to the transposition of the SEA Directive into Irish law.

For the purposes of compliance with the SEA Directive, each local authority as the ‘competent authority’ is required to carry out an environmental assessment of the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing the Climate Action Plan in accordance with the provisions of the above-mentioned regulations. The SEA report accompanies this Plan.

EU Habitats Directive-Appropriate Assessment

The Local Authority Climate Action Plan is also subject to Appropriate Assessment under Article 6(3) of the EU Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC) to determine if its implementation is likely to have significant effects on any Natura 2000 sites. Local authorities, as the prescribed ‘competent authorities’, may only adopt the Plan after having ascertained that it will not have a significant impact on the integrity of a Natura 2000 site on its own, or in combination with other plans or projects.

The directive provides legal protection for habitats and species of European importance through the establishment of the Natura 2000 network. The Natura 2000 network includes sites designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the Habitats Directive and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) designated under the EU Birds Directive (Directive 79/409/EEC, amended by Directive 2009/147/EC).

1.4. Opportunities of Climate Action

Implementation of the Climate Action Plan will result in new investments and opportunities that will provide multiple co-benefits, such as improved wellbeing and quality of life, and potentially new business and job opportunities.

This will support other Galway County Council objectives, such as:

This list is not exhaustive and there are multiple additional co-benefits that can emerge from the effective implementation of the Plan.

1.5. Profile of the County of Galway

Given the size and geographical features of the County, as well as the infrastructure assets and responsibilities of Galway County Council, the negative impacts of climate change pose a significant risk to residents, the economy, the environment, and the delivery of local government services into the future.

It is therefore imperative to build upon our climate adaptation and climate mitigation measures in a planned and co-ordinated approach across the county.

Galway is the second largest County in Ireland having an area of almost 6,149 square kilometres, with a coastline stretching to almost 2,000 kilometres. In 2016 the CSO recorded a population of almost 180,000 persons in the County of Galway outside of Galway City. The county borders Mayo to the north, Clare to the south and Roscommon and Offaly to the east and Tipperary to the south-east. Other natural boundaries include Galway Bay to the west along with Shannon and Lough Derg to the east and southeast respectively. The county is characterised by a diverse and natural landscape that includes features such as the mountainous Connemara region west of the River Corrib, fertile agricultural lands to the east and a more varied limestone area to the south. These topographical attributes combine to give Galway its outstanding and widely varied landscape setting.

There is a considerable network of settlements of varying scales and the largest Gaeltacht population in Ireland, which accounts for approximately 49.7% of the Gaeltacht population nationally as recorded by the CSO in 2016. The Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) identifies a new metropolitan area which includes the entirety of Galway City and the settlements of Baile Chláir, Bearna and Oranmore. Ballinasloe and Tuam are designated as Key Towns and Athenry is identified as an area with Strategic Potential. Other significant towns include Clifden on the west coast and Loughrea, Portumna and Gort to the east of Lough Corrib. There are also four main inhabited islands, Árainn (Inis Mór) , Inis Óirr, Inis Meáin and Inisbofin. Galway is now served with a motorway network to the east of the county (M6 and M17/M18) and rail service from Galway to Dublin and Limerick.

Figure 1.1 below illustrates key demographic data relating to the 2016 census. It includes reference to the overall population, where people live, work and household formation. This will be updated with 2021 census data prior to adoption of the Plan.

Figure 1.1: Key Demographic Data for Galway County Council from 2022 Census

1.6. Galway County Council Scope on Climate Action

Local authorities are key drivers in advancing climate policy at the local level.
Galway County Council is responsible for increasing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, across its own assets and infrastructure, in line with the 51% target prescribed to 2030 and the trajectory towards the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.

This Plan also sets out our broader role of influencing and facilitating others to meet their own targets and ambitions. While the Climate Action Plan will be ambitious to reflect our leadership role, the Plan will not include actions which fall outside the remit and governance of Galway County Council. A summary of our role is set out in Table 1.

1.7. Climate Action by Galway County Council to Date

Galway County Council has delivered adaptation and mitigation measures at local and community levels and intends to accelerate this work through the Plan. This is in addition to the many and important climate actions led by local communities and businesses throughout the county. Such actions include:

• Galway County Council Internal Energy Use: The national Energy Efficiency target for public bodies of 33% by 2020 was achieved by Galway County Council through the upgrade of the public lighting system, implementation of efficiency measures, the retrofit of buildings and the installation of renewable energy systems.
• Just Transition: By December 2023, 284 units of our social housing stock will have been retrofitted, which equates to approximately 10% of the total stock. This work included the removal of fossil fuel heating systems and the installation of heat pumps and solar panels. This has resulted in increased comfort and reduced energy bills and an estimated reduction of 475 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per annum.
• Active Travel: Multiple Active Travel projects have been implemented including cycle lanes, footpath improvement projects, pedestrian road safety measures, speeding interventions, Safe Routes to School supports and the development of footbridge projects.
• Community Supports: Galway County Council are supporting 10 communities to develop Energy Masterplans. A Climate Opportunity Fund was opened in 2021 which provided funding for 17 community projects including upgrades to lighting systems for sports clubs, upgrades to building fabrics, installation of community bike shelters, recycling facilities and community gardens. This will be expanded through the Community Climate Action Fund which we expect to open shortly with a fund of €750,000 for community projects.
• We are actively involved in a number of projects including:
  • CONNECTED Project – This Northwest Region Decarbonisation Zone project is coordinated by the University of Galway and supported by many other partners including local community groups in the decarbonisation zones in the region. The aims are to develop a decarbonisation engagement, dialogue and participation tool and a low-carbon action campaign tool, develop a guide to ensure input from marginalised communities, exemplar case studies and provide training.
  • LEAP - Local Energy Agencies in Peripherial Regions - LIFE Project whose aim is to create multiple local social enterprise “integrated home renovation services” in the North and West of Ireland including one which will serve peripheral communities in the west of the county including Oileáin Árann.
  • Galway Partner Forest Programme is a collaboration between ATU, Galway County Council, Wood Connects and Cities4Forests. The Cities4Forests Partner Forests programme is an initiative seeking to establish mutually beneficial connections between European municipalities and tropical forest communities around the world. The expected outcome from the project includes a high-level Green Public Procurement Strategy for Galway County Council and increased capacity to source wood products in a sustainable manner.

Case Study: Public Lighting

Galway County Council manages a network of over 12,300 public lights. Through an extensive upgrade programme, the percentage  of high efficiency LED lighting increased from 35% in January 2022 to 57% in June 2023. This will result in an estimated reduction of 286 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per annum. Public lighting upgrades will continue under the Electric Skyline programme and the National Public Lighting Energy Efficiency Project (PLEEP); Galway County Council aims to achieve 100% high efficiency LED lighting by 2030. Galway County Council will have due regard to the potential effect of light on biodiversity during the planning of these programmes.

1.8. Supporting a Just Transition for the County of Galway

Just transition aims to ensure that the shift to a low-carbon economy is fair and equitable for all stakeholders, especially those who are most vulnerable or affected by the changes. Supporting a just transition is a core element of this Plan, from the high-level mission statement through to the specific actions. A just transition can mean new jobs, new skills, new investment opportunities, and the chance to create a more productive and resilient economy.

Key actions included in the Plan that will support a just transition include the retrofitting of the social housing stock, increase resilience to the effects of climate change, improve access to public transport and active travel and support for communities in peripheral regions. Galway County Council are committed to working with partners and communities to support a just transition.

The Midlands region including the Ballinasloe Municipal District has been identified as being impacted by the transition away from fossil fuels with the ending of peat extraction for power generation. The EU Just Transition Fund has been established to assist those areas that were identified as being impacted. The priority for the fund is to generate employment by diversifying the local economy, restore degraded peatlands and regenerate industrial heritage assets and develop smart and sustainable mobility options. The Programme will deliver €169 million in investment to the region in the period to 2030. Galway County Council will work with the funding bodies to maximise the drawdown of funding in the Ballinasloe Municipal District.

In making that transformation, it is necessary to move past the assumptions which have failed us and to work together for such a different set of values as will enable us to build a sustainable social economy and a society which is profoundly ethical and inclusive.

Michael D. Higgins’ Inauguration Speech