Government announces €6.5 million Creative Climate Action fund III
- Published on: 13 February 2026
- Last updated on: 13 February 2026
New fund will support large-scale creative projects to engage communities in climate action.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, and Minister for Climate, Energy and Environment, Darragh O’Brien, today announced a new €6.5 million Creative Climate Action Fund, which will support imaginative, large-scale creative, cultural and artistic initiatives that help communities engage with climate change and empower citizens to make meaningful behavioural change.
The Creative Climate Action Fund III is an initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment.
The Creative Climate Action Fund III (2026-2029) will support ambitious, durational projects that bring together expertise from the arts and culture sector, climate science, and community engagement, and is delivered through a cross-Government partnership.
This Fund is seeking proposals that respond creatively to key national climate priorities, including those set out in the Climate Action Plan 2025, the National Dialogue on Climate Action, and the work of the Just Transition Commission.
As part of this overall investment, €1 million is being contributed under the Government’s Shared Island initiative. This Shared Island funding may be granted to projects with a strong all-island, North-South or East-West partnership, or to projects conceived and delivered entirely on a Shared Island basis. The aim for Shared Island supported projects is to promote cross-border cooperation and deepen collaboration between communities and citizens engaging with climate change, in both jurisdictions, across the island.
Funding is aimed at organisations with experience in delivering public engagement projects at scale, proposing projects with extensive public participation over time. Grants of between €400,000 and €750,000 will be available for projects delivered over a four-year period.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said:
“Climate change is a critical, shared challenge and I welcome this opportunity, supported by the Government’s Shared Island Fund, for those in the arts, culture, climate and science, and community engagement sectors across this island to collaborate to increase public awareness of climate challenges and to support the public in taking impactful, sustainable actions.”
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD said:
“I am proud to see Government supporting this innovative approach to addressing the challenges posed by climate change, and to see Ireland leading in embracing the power of creative practices to capture hearts, stir minds and spark lasting change in communities as we move towards a more sustainable world. Through this fund, communities are supported to deepen their connection with their natural environment, explore creative approaches, and imagine a more sustainable future together.”
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien TD said:
“The climate challenges we face require strong collaboration across Government and society. We welcome the role of the creative and cultural sector in helping to deliver the priorities of the national Climate Action Plan and in supporting the systemic change needed to adapt to, and mitigate against, a crisis that is already affecting communities across the island.”
Applications will open on February 16, 2026, at Creative Grant Call 2025 - Creative Ireland Programme and will close on April 15, 2026.
Notes to the Editor
· Since 2021, the Creative Ireland Programme, through the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, in partnership with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, and the Department of the Taoiseach, has invested a total of €8.5m in 57 Creative climate action projects.
· The Government’s Shared Island initiative aims to harness the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement to enhance cooperation, connection and mutual understanding on the island and engage with all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future.
· For more information, visit https://www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/creative-grant-call
· Information on previous projects funded under Creative Climate Action is available here.