The Local Authority Local Climate Action Plan or LACAP, for short, was the topic on Ours to Protect this week.
Did you Know?
- Every Local Authority in Ireland is creating a Climate Action Plan (LACAP) for their own area, outlining the ways that people in each County will work to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced and to prepare us to deal with the consequences of climate change
- The LACAP will be completed by February 2024 and will run until 2030
- Sligo County Council is creating a “Decarbonising Zone” on the North side of the Garavogue river, which will be testing ground for different low carbon projects such as district, geothermal heating, low emissions transport options and greener ways of living and doing business
- This initiative will trial ways of decarbonising all aspects of our lives through demonstrator projects and technologies for house holders, businesses and community groups. These can offer a blueprint for areas across the North West
Why is this Important?
- Contributing to the debate on climate change is important for looking after the future of our local area and all the people who live here, while also protecting our environment and delivering new opportunities in terms of employment and competitiveness.
- Ireland’s Climate Action Plan for tackling Climate Breakdown aims to make Ireland a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable society and economy by 2050. This means reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions by over 50% in the next decade – a 7% reduction emissions every year from 2021 to 2030 (a 51% reduction over the decade).
- Each Local Authority Climate Action Plan will detail how the county council plans to not only mitigate climate change (i.e. reduce greenhouse gas emissions) but also adapt to it (i.e. manage risks posed by sea level rise, increase in storms and flooding). Feeding into it gives you a chance to shape the strategy which will direct many aspects of our daily lives.
- Sligo has launched their consultation and Leitrim and Donegal County Councils will be doing the same. Each Council shares the same aims for their local area and the process will work in a similar way for all Counties across the North West.
What Can I Do?
- If you have an opinion, idea or suggestion relating to Climate Action log on to www.consult.sligococo.ie or email your submission to [email protected] before 18th August and let the County Council know.
- The National and Local Climate Action Plans deal with almost every aspect of daily life. Being aware of this is the first step. Here are some examples of what it will mean
- a massive up-scaling in our switch to renewables
- a dramatic change to our transport system and how we allocate our road space ambitious home and business retrofitting and climate-based construction
- new innovative systems that will protect and support our family farms to diversify their income streams
- Stay Informed – You can keep up to date on the progress of the Climate Action Plan through County Council social media accounts and websites
- Make a submission to the consultation under one or more of the key themes – XXXXX
- Talk to people you know and encourage them to think about the Climate Action Pan too – the more people that are thinking about this the better!
More Sources of Information:
Sligo Decarbonisation Zone: https://www.caro.ie/news/local-authority-decarbonisation-zones
Sligo LACAP Consultation: http://consult.sligococo.ie
Climate Action Regional Offices: https://www.caro.ie
Submissions to the Sligo County Council Climate Action Plan can also be made online or by post. All submissions must be received before17:00 on 18th August 2023.
To send a submission by email, please send to: [email protected]
Post your written submission to: Climate Coordinator, Sligo County Council, County Hall, Riverside, Sligo, F91Y763
