Draft Kilkenny County Council Climate Action Plan

I would urge Kilkenny retailers to be encouraged to bring in a system for introducing reusable cups only in most coffee shops on a voluntary basis such as they have in Killarney, Co. Kerry. Optional opt-in but I believe most coffee shops there did.

Recycle bins on parade and near hurling statue to collect plastic bottles and other recyclables, they have them in Macdonagh and they have a good uptake in use. 

Bye law banning disposable vapes, as they are not that recylable.

Controversial I know, but I would also wish a motion to ban tractor runs be debated- huge carbon footprint. 

Currently, the council supply dog litter bags free of charge along various walks and trails in and around Kilkenny. The problem with these are they are non biodegradable, therefore the litter cannot decompose and go back to the soil as fertiliser. Also if people can't find a bin nearby, they sometimes throw the bags in a ditch. If a biodegradable bag is thrown in a ditch, it and the litter will simply decompose and enrich the soil. 

Dual flush valves, popular in other countries, are a great way of cutting down on water usage. When done on a large scale, i.e. the phased replacement of single flush valves with dual flush valves in any toilets, public and in Council buildings. This would significantly reduce the county's water usage, and may mitigate against effects of periods of drought.

Every time there is an election, large amounts of hoardings are places on electricity poles by various candidates and parties, this has a high carbon footprint, both in transporting the signage around to the respective poles, and also, the fact that the posters are non recycled and end up in landfill. Kilkenny has an opportunity to lead the nation by introducing a bye law to ban such environmentally unfriendly practices.

Waterford City and County Council (WCCC) welcomes the publication of Kilkenny County Council’s draft Local Climate Action Plan. WCCC will look to assist and collaborate with Kilkenny on actions where relevant, in particular those which may be transboundary in nature. A cohesive approach to climate action amongst neighboring authorities will ensure effective climate action takes place across the Southeast region.

Please find attached the submission on behalf of members of Kilkenny PPN in respect of the Draft Kilkenny County Council Climate Action Plan 2024-2029.

Global Action Plan 

Submission to Kilkenny County Council on the Draft Climate Action Plan 2024-2029

December 2023

Global Action Plan welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the development of a holistic and strategic Climate Action Plan for Kilkenny, and congratulates Kilkenny County Council on the quality of the draft Plan, as presented to the public for consultation. 

In our submission to the draft Action Plan, we want to highlight a couple of areas that may help strengthen the Council’s commitments:

• The importance of climate action at all levels of society;
• The reasons why community climate action has been lagging to date;
• The importance of linking climate action and social inclusion;
• The potential of community gardening.

In addition, we want to extend, by way of this submission, an invitation to Kilkenny County Council to partner with our organisation, in a programme that can help address these four important issues.
 

1) The urgency and importance of action at all levels

At Global Action Plan, we believe that Ireland must do its utmost to urgently reduce the level of greenhouse gases we emit, and make transformational changes to the way we organise our society, ranging from energy generation and industry, to how we plan and manage cities, transportation and food systems. What we need is radical change at all levels: individuals, communities, companies and countries. We need to change the rules, change our habits and change our mindsets.

To achieve the required change at all levels of society, Global Action Plan helps people understand the extent of their own personal contributions to our unsustainable lifestyles, and we support people in devising strategies to reduce their own impact. These actions are important in themselves, and they also inspire others to make the changes that we so urgently need. 

Ireland is, per capita, one of the worst climate polluters and a large part of our national greenhouse gas emissions is related to how we have chosen to live our lives. The decisions we make at home contribute directly to our poor climate track record as a country: how we heat our homes, how we cook, what we eat, how we travel, and the products we buy.

In that context, we appreciate the emphasis placed in the draft strategy on training of Council staff and management, and the importance of promoting community resilience. The plan includes a detailed list of action in this context (Strategic Theme 4), but could be strengthened by outlining the overall logic behind the list of priorities: What is the thread that brings these actions together and how will the actions listed result in more empowered and active local businesses and citizens groups? 

Global Action Plan also welcomes the recognition in the draft strategy that local authorities have a central role to play in shaping Ireland’s response to climate change: as an actor delivering climate actions in areas within its own remit, but also as an agent of change, influencing, facilitating and advocating for action by others. It is very positive to see this role highlighted, and linked to the wider political and policy context, as defined by the various international and national agreements and pieces of legislation. 

2) Unleashing community potential for change

While the emphasis on taking local community action is welcome, we feel it is important to place greater stress on what should be the aim of those activities: the encouragement and development of local, informed climate actions. 

There is a wealth of information indicating that people in Ireland are worried about the climate crisis. They believe action is necessary and are willing to do their part, but there are practical reasons why this awareness does not translate into action: For instance, media coverage focuses on stories of doom and gloom, with little perspective of hope offered, contributing to an environment of fear and a belief that a transition to a post-carbon society will involve costs, sacrifice and a loss of freedom. 

This belief, coupled with the relative lack of visibility of existing climate action initiatives, can lead people to think that the rest of society does not share their climate concerns, or that personal climate action is meaningless until such time that “others” have changed their behaviour first. 

The draft Climate Action Plan must address the barriers people experience in trying to tackle climate change. Such barriers relate not only to funding and knowledge, but also to values, emotions and perceptions of disempowerment. 

The Action Plan must address the ‘spiral of inaction’ that results from the a combination of factors: 

• People do not see enough other people take action;
• People feel their concerns are not widely shared, as climate is not a topic regularly brought up in public and private discussions;
• People believe that climate change is not going to affect them in the here and now, but that it is a future or remote problem;
• People worry about the financial costs and practical inconveniences of transitioning to a more low-carbon lifestyle;
• People are unsure which actions will have the greatest impact on their carbon footprint.

This combination of factors is detrimental to people’s wellbeing and their willingness to try and take action to tackle climate change in their own communities and homes - and in the process they end up reinforcing the misperception that others don’t care about climate change.

Yet we know that this ‘spiral of inaction’ can be reversed: When people see that others care about the environment, and when they hear their friends and peers talk about climate change, they will understand that their own concerns are more widespread than they assumed, and they will be more likely to feel that their own efforts do matter. And as more people share knowledge on climate action, more people will demand sustainable practices and products, and the prices of alternatives to our current carbon-intensive products will begin to come down. The ‘spiral of inaction’ will then have turned into a self-reinforcing ‘virtuous cycle’ of informed and effective climate action.

We recommend strengthening the Draft Action Plan by explicitly addressing the barriers to change that people experience, and presenting proposals on how the Council can help unleash the power of the virtuous cycle. 

Potential strategies in this context could include, for instance:

• Public communications strategies that emphasise what needs to change, who needs to change, and why, but also - crucially - the extent to which change is already happening;
• Highlighting the many encouraging examples being set by businesses, citizens groups and local authorities all over Ireland, as templates and inspiration for local action;
• Framing climate action as a positive step that individuals and groups can take to realise greener, fairer and more liveable communities. Change is disruptive, but the focus of the discussion should not be the disruption itself, but on the advantages arising from it;
• Acknowledging that climate action is a journey, where each step matters, both for its own climate impact and for its potential to inspire others. No solution in itself is going to be sufficient, just as no solution will work without action at other levels. The key is not to search for perfection, but to encourage multiple actions, even if imperfect;
• Working with communities to encourage them along their climate action journey, by providing safe and nurturing spaces to deconstruct problems from a local and global perspective, and exploring challenges, barriers and opportunities;
• Supporting communities to develop tangible community action plans;
• Connecting communities with initiatives locally and nationally, to promote knowledge sharing and mutual inspiration.

3) Climate Action, Just Transition and Social Inclusion

The draft Action Plan makes only two references to ‘Just Transition’, and neither relate directly to objectives or actions outlined in the Plan. This is a big disappointment, particularly since the topic is listed as having been one of the “key themes” raised during the pre-draft consultation process. The Action Plan is likely to fail unless it explicitly addresses the issues referred to under the Just Transition concept.

Climate change requires societal change at all levels, but it equally requires specific and deliberate action and policy initiatives to ensure that the costs of the transition, as well as the benefits of the changes, are spread equitably across society, with those most affected by climate change and those least able to shoulder the burden of change are protected and supported. 

We would recommend further reflection on how the Council’s Climate Action Plan can contribute to ‘Just Transition’, ‘Just Resilience’ and Social Inclusion. 

Just Resilience refers to the need to scale up activities in response to the extreme weather events and other impacts of climate change that are already being experienced in Ireland. Crucially, these impacts are not only those directly related to extreme weather patterns -  although much of the public discourse in Ireland focuses on those. Many communities in Ireland, due to their geographical location or socioeconomic status, are particularly vulnerable to the secondary effects of climate change, such as increases in the costs of food and insurance, changes in the impacts of diseases, additional occupational health constraints, changes in employment opportunities, and increases in inward migration. 

The effects of these changes in society are not distributed equally across Irish society, nor are the required skills and resources to manage and respond to the changes available to all. 

In Ireland, many people and communities do not feel that they can realistically shape climate mitigation and adaptation policies, responses and investments, and without targeted action, they will not benefit from the actions taken to adapt to global warming.

This is why Global Action Plan advocates for greater emphasis on Inclusion and Engagement as a critical element of the Climate Action Plan. We consider that the objective of ensuring that the most vulnerable and marginalised communities are included and supported in all policy and funding processes should be a crucial consideration for the Council’s strategy. 

This is an important overall objective, and the consultation process itself shows that this aspiration is very difficult: the Draft Action Plan is a document that is difficult to access for people with a disability or literacy challenges, for instance. 

4) Community gardening

We regret that the draft Action Plan makes no reference to the role of community gardens in the overall strategy to combat climate change. 

In our view, an effective response to climate change requires a fundamental re-think of many aspects of our society, including the use of land and the systems for food production, food distribution and food marketing. This requires, for instance, changing approaches to gardens and public green spaces in the context of more extreme rainfall, promoting community rain gardens, discouraging hard paving in private gardens, and retrofitting water butt installations, as key elements of any adaptation and mitigation strategy.

In addition, we wish to highlight the many benefits of community gardens, including the two community gardens that GAP operates in the Dublin area. 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted urban agriculture initiatives such as community gardening as an important factor in strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Similarly, the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss recognises that “urban environments have an enormous role to play in the conservation and restoration of biodiversity” and the value of green spaces to populations living in urban environments.

Furthermore, there is a wealth of evidence from academic studies that such green urban spaces have other benefits, not only in terms of food production, health and biodiversity, but also in relation to social inclusion, solidarity, and mental health. 

We would welcome a more explicit emphasis on the role Kilkenny County Council sees for itself in supporting allotments and community gardens throughout the County. 

5) An invitation to partner with Global Action Plan 

Global Action Plan (GAP) Ireland is an environmental organisation supporting sustainable communities across Ireland. GAP aims to inspire people to become ‘change makers’.

We equip individuals and communities with knowledge and skills to develop solutions to the environmental and climate crises. We believe that all of us can make a difference, through the choices we make. And that is why we focus on assisting people, helping them discover their power to affect change, and enabling them to develop tangible actions that lead to lasting behaviour change

Global Action Plan has three main programmes: a Schools programme, a Community programme, and a Business programme. 

• In our Primary and Secondary Schools programme, we deliver a broad range of in-school workshops on Environmental and Climate Action themes, and we provide teacher training. In addition, we provide an extensive outdoor education programme for schools, engage students to understand and appreciate nature in their local parks and green spaces. We also partner with schools in organic gardening programmes, either in our community gardens in Dublin or within the grounds of the school itself.
   

• Our Community programme focuses on grassroots organisations in towns and villages throughout Ireland. The programme consists of several strands, including: 
• Climate action training for outdoor staff in local authorities (such as we have delivered in Dublin, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Galway, Leitrim, Meath, and South Dublin;
• a Community Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Training programme for communities in Co. Dublin;
• Joint workshops with Council staff on the roll out of their Community Climate Action funding schemes; 
• our flagship Action On Community Transformation programme, which helps community groups link local concerns with global challenges.

In addition, we run extensive social regeneration and inclusion programmes, in areas such as Ballymun and Corduff in Dublin. Centred around GAP’s Green Living and Sustainability Community (GLAS) community gardens, these programmes bring people of all ages and abilities together to promote tangible lifestyle changes as well as greater well-being and community engagement. Both gardens also have an extensive outreach programme, where citizens learn about biodiversity, the impacts of Climate Change and how to reduce waste, energy and water.
 

• Informed by demand from large and small companies, our Business programme is made up of a range of tools to provide practical support for staff learning and engagement. We provide bespoke in-house corporate workshops, covering a range of issues, including topics such as the Sustainable Development Goals, off-setting carbon, global citizenship and understanding the climate crisis; and our employee engagement opportunities include skills based volunteering options, team building activities in our community gardens and employee-giving schemes. Finally we deliver bespoke digital Climate Challenges to businesses. 

During 2023, we hosted the first ever National Climate Competition for Businesses, along with a special competition for companies in the Irish Funds Industry. We also facilitated in-house climate competitions for large companies, including AIB, and for a wide range of community groups (through the Irish Aid funded “Climate Heroes” programme).

In recent years, we have partnered with organisations such as AIB, Deloitte, Google, H&MV, Intel Ireland, Patagonia, Paypal and Vodafone through this programme.

Perhaps one of the most important programmes from the point of view of Kilkenny County Council is our annual “Climate Heroes” competition. 

The Climate Heroes Challenge (www.climateheroes.ie) for community groups all over Ireland provides a unique combination of encouragement, education and real life climate impact, offering participants a menu of 40 climate smart activities, based on the four main areas of individual greenhouse gas emissions: Transport, Food, Consumption and Energy. 

Funded by Irish Aid at the Department of Foreign Affairs and organised by Global Action Plan, the ‘Climate Heroes’ competition sees local groups across the country try to minimise their carbon footprints. It is a unique combination of entertainment, education and real-life climate impact.

Using aggregated climate data and Life Cycle Assessment analysis per activity, the challenge provides a gamified, research-based platform that aims to engage people and create awareness about the big difference that small actions can achieve. The online Challenge is supported by a series of workshops that build participants’ competencies for global citizenship and climate action.

Results from last year’s Climate Heroes Challenge showed that those areas where the local County Council had taken an active role in the Challenge - such as Kilkenny, Fingal and Dublin City - produced the highest scores. 

We welcome the fact that Kilkenny County Council aspires to strong leadership for the actions set out in the draft action plan. 

Global Action Plan is hereby offering to assist the Council in these areas, for instance by offering some of its thematic workshops for Council staff, and by making its extensive employee engagement experience available to the Council. 

We look forward to working with Kilkenny County Council on a range of initiatives including our “Climate Heroes” programme for community groups (www.climateheroes.ie) and our Climate Competition for Businesses (www.climatecompetition.ie), both of which will run in April 2024.

–o0o–

It is noticeable that across the city of Kilkenny are plenty of green spaces that remain under-utilized , but at the same time over-mowed, in such a way that they become unpleasant for adults and children to use (in some cases unsafe too) and also completely void of ecological value.
I've marked in the map just a few of the ones that are within Smithsland/Loughboy, but there are plenty more.
Together with the proposal of Community Gardens Ireland, which I support, I would like to propose these areas to be made into proper parks, for nature and recreation.
These parks should be partly planted, and partly left to self-seed and grow, allowing for areas of no-mow, and areas for seasonal mowing as it is already done in the beautiful Dukes Meadow.
Dukes Meadow is, in fact, a perfect example of what an urban/wild park should be. It is welcoming to animals and insects, as well as the local residents who can often be seen walking their dogs, having picnics or watching their kids play sports in the limited but reasonable mowed area.

If the most recent Christmas set up over the parade has taught us anything is that people crave for a place to gather to socialize, and a properly planned local park can serve that function.

I have attached to this submission a map showing all the playgrounds in Kilkenny and the lack of them in the south of the city, circling what are, in my opinion, the best spots for them.
I have also attached a sketch for what I imagine these parks could look like, with native trees and areas of tall grass, as well as benches (in the manner of the benches at the new Abbey development) and a sculpture or fountain as a point of interest.

The park as I designed it is intended to:

* Mitigate the noise coming from the street with the use of trees and bushes
* Create a barrier so kids could potentially play in the park without risking them going to the road
* Trees and bushes are arranged in such a way that give a sense of privacy and safety without leaving any area completely hidden
* Direction of sun is also considered so they don't rob households from sunshine.
* The center of the park is open towards the other green I marked as suitable for a playground, creating a virtual connection between the two of them.
* The park also enjoys the proximity of the Loughboy library, which could create a beneficial feedback between the two outside of the cold months, where it could be promoted for people to go read outside.

This is just made as an example of the virtuous circles that these spaces can promote once they are developed to foster community, art and nature.

It is to be noticed that some change (at least in Cedar Park) is already underway, with areas of seasonal mowing, and the increased visual interest of it is immediately apparent. However I would advice for a more holistic approach, where there are more paths and recreation features that increase the local interest and pride in these areas.

Please refer to the attached document

Inland Fisheries Ireland submission on draft Kilkenny Climate Action Plan. PDF of submission attached.

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership (KLP) sees synergies and complementarities with the objectives of the Kilkenny County Council Climate Action Plan, with a number of KLP's own plans and strategies- particularly in the 'LEADER' Local Development Strategy 2023- 2027, and the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 2024- 2026.  The attached document briefly sets out its view of some of those shared areas of action and its suggestions on how they might together support Climate Action in County Kilkenny.  KLP is available to expand on any of these suggestions at the convenience of Kilkenny County Council .

Please find attached Uisce Éireann’s submission on the Kilkenny County Council Draft Climate Action plan.

Attached is the Kilkenny Association of An Taisce submission to the above draft Climate Action Plan.

Please find attached submissions from Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications