Irish Local Authority Experience

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Irish Local Authority Experience adapting to
Climate Change Goals

• Mícheál Ó Coileáin
• Environmental Awareness Officer
• Kerry County Council
• December 2nd 2009

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Climate Change is Here

• Climate change is the greatest challenge facing
  humanity.
• How we respond to it will define us as a
  generation

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On the Edge of Europe County Kerry
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Targets

• 20th February 2007 The EU undertook to cut
  Greenhouse Gas emissions by 20 on 1990 levels
  within 13 years
• Ireland with the 2nd highest emissions in the EU
  per head of capita will have to implement these
  reductions of 20
• This figure will increase to 30 if the US return
  to the negotiating table

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National Change Campaign
The Change Campaign
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Change Campaign

• Develop an understanding of climate change
• Create an understanding of how individuals /
  organisations impact on climate change
• Inform individuals / organisations how to lower
  this impact

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Change Campaign

• Integrated Communications Campaign
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Media Management
• Advertising

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Change Carbon Calculator

• Developed with Irish specific data
• Helps people understand their contribution to
  climate change. Everybody has a carbon number
• Everybodys number is different
• 100,000 people have used carbon calculator in
  first 8 months of campaign

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Role of Local AuthoritiesInhouse Projects

• Local Authorities have to lead by example.
• Do As I Do, Not Do As I Say
• All inhouse energy use has to be environmentally
  sustainable.
• Public buildings/Infrastructure
• Fleet Use of Biodiesel

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Kerry Motor Tax Office
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Kerry County CouncilMotor Tax Building

• The building fabric is highly insulated in all
  elements of walls, floors and roof.
• Geothermal heating/cooling system.
• Solar water heating system.
• Natural ventilation system.
• Energy efficient lighting with motion sensors.
• Building management system.

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Tralee Fire Services Building
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Rath Óraigh Housing DevelopmentTralee
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Rath Óraigh Housing Development

• The scheme can be divided into
• 7-No bungalows and a creche heated by
  geo-thermal heat pump, with solar panels
  providing hot water .
• 14-No two storey units, two and three bed
  provided with solar panels and condensing boilers
  fuelled by LPG .
• Remaining 43 houses, provided with Condensing
  boilers fuelled by LPG.

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Rath Óraigh Solar Panels
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Lough Guitane, Killarney Hydro-Electric Plant
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Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre
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Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre

• CHP Investment Appraisal  
• CHP Purchase Price 185,400
• Net Investment Cost 129,780
• Net Annual Energy Cost Savings 26,289
    
• Simple Payback Period   4.9 Years

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Community Awareness

• Transition Towns
• It all starts off when a small collection of
  motivated individuals within a community come
  together with a shared concern how can our
  community respond to the challenges, and
  opportunities, of Peak Oil and Climate Change?

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Community Awareness Transition Towns

• building bridges to local government
• connecting with other transition initiatives
• forming groups to look at all the key areas of
  life (food, energy, transport, health, economics
  livelihoods, etc)
• kicking off projects aimed at building people's
  understanding of resilience and carbon issues and
  community engagement
• eventually launching a community defined,
  community implemented "Energy Descent Action
  Plan" over a 15 to 20 year timescale

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The Green-Schools Travel Pilot ProgrammePilot
project in Kerry 6000 students450 Teachers28
Schools
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Green SchoolsCar use on journey to school down
9.5Walking levels increased by 6.3Cycling
increased by 2.1 Green Flag for Travel awarded
to 24 schools to date

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A national rallying call
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• Go Raibh Maith Agaibh
• Thank You
• Míchéal Ó Coileáin
• Kerry County Council
• mocoilea_at_kerrycoco.ie