Meath County Council launch local climate action strategy project
THE Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council Cllr Gerry O Connor together with the Chief Executive Jackie Maguire have launched a draft Climate Action Strategy for the County and which will be the subject of public consultation and open for submission of comments, ideas and observations for a 6 week period from Monday 11th June last.
In publishing the draft Meath County Council will be one of the first Local Authorities to do so and fulfilling statutory obligations imposed on all public bodies by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development 2015 and where such legislation has as its goal to move Ireland to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy.
‘We have responsibilities in terms of energy usage and choice of supply/ source in our public lighting, buildings, depots, leisure facilities, in our housing stock, and our fleet,’ a council spokesperson stated.
The Council are committed to achieving targets set for 2020 and 2030.
The draft Strategy which is being led by by Caroline Corrigan Senior Executive Engineer and Larry Whelan Senior Executive Officer will seek to instil a cultural change into the organisation in relation to designing, building and developing sustainability and mainstreaming climate change considerations into all plans and policies including the draft County Development Plan 2019-2025 which is at an advanced stage of preparation.
In total the draft strategy lists 135 objectives across 8 thematic areas and namely planning, economy, mobility, built environment, clean energy, resource management, water and natural resources.
The council is seeking as much participation as possible in the process and will also work through the Public Partnership Networks and the Strategic Policy Committees in bringing the community on board in effecting a mature approach to the climate change agenda.
The draft strategy comprising of the following documents can be accessed via the following links : https://consult.meath. ie/en/browse.