Strategic Goal 1: Fostering Governance, Leadership and Partnerships for Climate Action
This goal seeks to ensure that local authorities are mandated and aligned to lead on climate action, resourced to effectively deliver on commitments, and that all 28,000 local authority staff share a common purpose and approach in working with communities and strategic partners to embed climate action across all activities.
Key Objectives
- Advocate for local government as a lead sector in relation to climate action, and influence local and national policy so that it can effectively leverage this leadership position.
- Ensure that local authorities are aligned, resourced, and funded to capitalise on this leadership position in relation to climate action.
- Build internal capacity and awareness, from elected members through to the 28,000 local authority employees to embed climate action across all local authority activities.
- Build capacity and readiness in relation to working with communities and other strategic partners to effect transformative climate action in each city and county.
- Gather and share data to ensure that local authority research, expertise and experience is leveraged for climate action.
Irish Local Authorities are uniquely positioned to lead on climate action and to be a platform and catalysts for change, strengthen communities and create a true sense of place and purpose around climate action.
They already play a leading role in observing and adapting to the impacts of climate change by creating net zero carbon, socially just communities where everyone can thrive.
Local Authorities have unique capabilities that Ireland needs in order to deliver on climate policy objectives, ranging from:
- Technical capabilities to adapt existing assets and develop new infrastructure.
- Housing and service provision.
- Landuse policy and forward planning
- Emergency planning and response.
- Structures for engagement with communities and wider local government processes such as PPNs, LCDCs and our wide network of Community Development, Environmental, Biodiversity, Arts, Green Business and Climate Action Officers.
Local Authorities have proven themselves time and time again to have the capability to implement and deliver change at a local level. Local Authorities can invest in innovative approaches to climate action at scale and have the breath of experience to offer compelling strategic visions for local carbon town, cities and regions.
Elected members and senior management have a key leadership role to play in enabling the transformation required, realising the potential of the sector and ensuring the focus remains on strategic action in priority areas such as carbon emissions reduction and climate adaptation.
Local Authorities, supported by the CAROs, are working to ensure they are mandated and aligned to lead on climate action, resourced to effectively deliver on commitments, and that all 28,000 local authority staff share a common purpose and approach in working with communities and strategic partners to embed climate action across our activities.
There are so many actions happening across local authorities in Ireland, the CARO will support the sharing of case studies and data to ensure that local authority research, expertise and experience is leveraged for climate action.
Visit our Case Studies section to see examples of how Local Authorities foster governance, leadership and partnerships for climate action.