SEAI BACKS NATIONWIDE GET INVOLVED INITIATIVE
We always knew the power communities across Ireland had to act for themselves. We know too about the many energy challenges we face in Ireland, our dependence on imported, expensive, and polluting, fossil fuels. However the surprise for me has been at just how quickly the number has grown of communities that are now working together to tackle these challenges successfully and in doing soare improving their own lives, creating local jobs, and protecting the environment.We in SEAI have worked directly with over 150 different communities across the country that are willing to act together to stop wasting energy and some have gone a step further decided to generate renewable energy within their own community. What this has meant is that under SEAI Better Energy Communities programme the owners and users of over 10,000 homes, and 1200 community centres, sports clubs, public buildings and local businesses have all decided that it was better to invest their money in reducing their energy needs rather than to keep sending that money abroad to pay for imported fossil fuels. In 2013 and 2014 the total investment in the communities was over €100 million. We expect to see that grow even further in 2015. All of this has been made possible through local people investing some of their own money along with local authorities, public sector organisations and businesses adding some more, along with the grants we have been able to provide thanks to Government support. The range of initiatives has reminded us just how enthusiastic and creative communities can be. We were particularly pleased to see the diversity of organisations which came together with a common goal. And so we had parish halls, GAA and other sports facilities, local authority premises, retail outlets, factories, island communities, community centres, hotels and schools. Those who have taken these simple steps and started to work on their own communities have laid a path for future work and are continuing to set new ambitions. Many have turned a once off action into an ongoing community structure for job creation, sustainability and social improvement. The simple message is any community can do it if they put their minds to it. It is not easy to achieve what these communities have achieved. It takes a lot of work to bring people together, plan projects, coordinate works, and handle the finance. That is why we are now building a national network of all interested communities so that all can share experiences and learn from each other. We want to help more communities to build their own readiness to undertake energy projects, and we also want to help them decide for themselves what comes after such a project: what are the long term goals. Because the positive motivation of these communities starts from a negative – we cannot continue to meet our energy needs the way we do now. We cannot waste so much through inefficient buildings, not do any of us want to waste money in doing so. Equally, we cannot continue to spend literally billions of euros importing other countries; energy resources; resources that are expensive, uncertain and heavily polluting. This is not sustainable in any sense of the word.We need to change the ways we use energy and we need to exploit the local, clean energy resources we are rich in. Last year in supporting Get Involved we were delighted to meet other local groups taking up the challenge in other areas to better their own community in some way. The inspirational 2014 winners in Limerick and their community grocery co-op are now considering energy as their next opportunity. The worthy runners-up, the energy community in Drombane and the other villages in County Tipperary are considering setting up a co-op involving the locals who wish to consider future potential investments including possible renewable energy projects. All of this shows the power of community action and where it can lead to, whether it starts by digging a local vegetable garden or insulating an attic both mean local benefits, local job creation and local selfreliance.All of these things are part of what it means for a community to be resilient, dynamic and sustainable.
In supporting the 2015 Get Involved initiative once more we want to help to support the huge potential that exists across Ireland for local, positive action. I would like to wish all of the community groups good luck and look forward to hearing all of the positive local stories and achievements.