Did you Know?
- 83% of participants across Irish communities are motivated to take action to address climate change
- Being part of a community is better for our health – for example, people who are socially isolated are 45 percent more likely to get sick with a common cold
- Community gardens are a great option for anyone, but are an especially beneficial way for people whose other activities are limited by age or disability allowing them to be active and engage with nature
- €5 million of funding is available through County Councils from the Government Climate Action Fund to support community projects, large and small, rural and urban, related to climate change
- Companies can avail of a Climate Action Voucher to pay for technical or advisory services related to developing a Sustainability or Decarbonisation Action Plan for their business
Why is this important?
- Putting people and communities at the heart of climate action, allows them to contribute to solutions, which leads to solutions that are fair, fast and more likely to succeed
- Power to Change will enable communities in the North West to make their plans a reality by providing them the resources and expertise required to achieve them. These can also offer a roadmap for other communities looking to implement similar plans
- Gardening offers lots of health benefits for communities – it’s a good form of exercise that’s not overly strenuous, a way for people to remain active, and offers an opportunity to socialise
- Being part of community activities outdoors also offers the benefits of fresh air and sunshine—all that vitamin D that is so good for us
- Social connection strengthens our immune system, helps us recover from disease faster, and may even lengthen our life
What can you do?
- If you are a member of a community group, you can see whether others in your group would be interested in activities related to climate action – start with something simple like energy or water use or planting in your common space
- You can post any questions your group has on environmental or climate change issues on the Power to Change website and they will ensure that you get an expert to respond to your query – and the information you receive might also be of use to other community groups
- Inform yourself and your group about public consultations on environmental issues and in your local area and feed back your opinions to the authorities
- See what you can do to reduce your community or workplace’s contribution to climate change and spread the word among your colleagues
For More Information
Power to Change
https://www.sligoppn.com/the-power-to-change/
Climate Toolkit for Businesses and Climate Action Vouchers
https://www.climatetoolkit4business.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Master-list-of-recommended-actions-Feb-2023.pdf
Sligo Community Climate Action Programme
https://www.sligococo.ie/Environment/ClimateAction/CommunityClimateActionProgramme/
Environmental Action Academy Toolkit for communities
https://www.sligoppn.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SligoEnvironmentalToolkit-002.pdf
