Local communities in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown will take the lead in combating global warming as part of the Community Climate Action fund. The fund contains €27 million to be distributed to local organisations working to build low carbon communities and was launched this week by Minister Eamon Ryan. €883,000 has been allocated to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in this round of funding.
If you’re involved in any local community group, which could be a residents association, sports club, active retirement group etc. then you could be part of the fight against climate change with grants through this fund. There are three project sizes eligible:
- Small scale projects < €20,000.
- Medium scale projects €20,000 to €50,000.
- Large scale projects €51,000 to €100,000.
The fund will provide amounts of up to €100,000 to local projects over an 18-month period and will be administered by local authorities. The fund will take a flexible approach and consider local aspects when deciding the appropriate amount of funding for the projects. Projects selected for funding will have to contribute climate action under the following five themes: community energy; travel; food and waste; shopping and recycling; local environmental action.
To fight climate change we must think global and act local. The Community Climate Action fund will support people to make our community more sustainable and environmentally friendly. The fund doesn’t impose a one-size-fits-all approach from the top down, instead it allows communities to adapt projects that suit local conditions. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown now has an excellent opportunity to support climate action and it is vital that we seize this chance.
Applications are now open for groups who want to get involved and do their part for the environment. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown have a dedicated Community Climate Action Officer who can assist groups with their applications and provide guidance on the programme. If you have any questions at all about the grants programme, the Community Climate Action Officer is very accessible at [email protected]. I am also very happy to help if you have any project ideas so please do get in touch.
