Community Climate Action Programme

The Community Climate Action Programme is a new programme to support small and large, rural and urban communities to take climate action at a local level. It aims to shape and build low carbon, sustainable communities in a coherent way to contribute to national climate and energy targets.

Cavan County Council welcomes the announcement by the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications of a new Community Climate Action Fund, which will become available to support communities to promote and assist in the scale up of community climate action. County Cavan has been allocated €439,000 under Strand 1 of this Fund.

Strand 1- Action: Building Low Carbon Communities

Under this scheme communities will carry out projects that have a direct climate action impact.  

The types of projects/initiatives, within communities, which are eligible for funding under the Programme, should seek to demonstrate the delivery of national climate action at local level by:

1. Reducing or supporting the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
2. Increasing the production, or use, of renewable energy
3. Improving energy efficiency
4. Increasing climate resilience
5. Identifying nature-based projects that enhance biodiversity and seek to reduce, or increase the removal of, greenhouse gas emissions or support climate resilience in the State
6. Assisting regions in the State (including communities in those regions) and within sectors of the economy impacted by the transition to a low carbon economy
7. Involving potentially innovative solutions to address the above asks

What Groups Are Eligible?

Community organisations meeting the requirements listed below are eligible to apply to partner with Cavan County Council to implement a project under this Programme, they:

• Must be a not-for-profit organisation
• Must be located in the operational area of the Cavan County Council
• Must submit a completed application form on or before the specified closing date and time (Dates to be announced)
• Must be registered with a PPN or connected with other collectives such as the Wheel, Tidy Towns and /or a community group with Articles of Association or a Constitution, which hold an AGM, and for which approved minutes are available.

Only one application per organisation may be submitted for consideration – projects proposed are encouraged to cut across several of the themes and be bundled together as part of a single application.

Communities Not Eligible

• Private individuals
• Commercial undertakings (including sole traders)
• Schools
• National community and environmental organisations

Project Themes

Projects must demonstrate the delivery of national climate action at a local level for strand 1. The five themes are: Community Energy; Travel; Food and Waste; Shopping and Recycling; and Local Climate and Environmental Action.

Theme 1: Community Energy

These projects aim to reduce the climate impact of buildings in communities by using less energy, utilising renewable energy and avoiding heat loss.

This can include:

• Small community renewable energy projects (solar, hydro, wind)
• Retrofitting community buildings
• LED community lighting
• Community EV charging point(s)

Theme 2: Travel

Projects which contribute to emissions reductions related to travel

This can include:

• Reductions in carbon footprint in services
• Improving access to cycle ways
• Cycle parking
• EV charging points
• Safe or active travel routes to schools

Theme 3: Food and Waste

Projects that reduce food waste, promotes locally grown/sourced food and support food security

This can include:

• Developing community gardens to promote local food production
• Allotments, community gardens
• Food pledges from local businesses
• Food markets
• Community composting facilities

Theme 4: Shopping and Recycling

Projects of interest under this theme would increase the variety and number of recycling facilities in the local community and initiatives aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling

This can include:

• Initiatives aimed at reducing, reusing and recycling
• Elimination of single use plastic
• Community repair hubs
• Swap shops
• Water filling stations or single use plastics elimination in businesses in communities

Theme 5: Local Climate & Environmental Action

We are interested in projects that take a holistic approach to managing the local environment

This can include for example

• Mini forests
• Forest schools
• Dispersed orchards
• Community gardens
• Roof gardens
• Pollinator projects
• Community water stations
• Climate resilience projects

Project Funding Scales

Funding is available for 100% of the project and there are three project sizes eligible:

Non-Eligible Projects and Activities (This list is not exhaustive)

Strand 1a -Shared Island Community Climate Action

In addition, €3 million is being provided by the Government’s Shared Island Fund to support cross-border and all-island community climate action initiatives under Strand 1a.

Strand 1a projects will address the same five themes as Strand 1 and must have a clear North/South basis, with a cross-border partnership approach and impact. Strand 1a applications must be made by a lead organisation in this jurisdiction, with at least one partner organisation in Northern Ireland. At least 50% of awarded funding will be for project delivery in Northern Ireland.

Communities may apply for a project under strand 1 and may apply for a separate project under strand 1a

Project Selection & Timeline

Following an evaluation process, a number of projects will be selected and put forward to the Department for approval. The Minister for the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) will decide what projects are approved and any specific conditions of funding. Projects must be delivered within 18 months from date of funding approval.

How To Apply

Expressions of Interest for this fund will open shortly. If your community group is interested in applying for this funding or would like to discuss potential projects, please submit any queries to tarasmith@cavancoco.ie.