Minister O’Brien announces recipients of €29.5 million for successful Community Climate Projects

• Second phase of Community Climate Action Programme will drive local climate action
• First phase already supported 650 nationwide projects, with funding of €24 million
• Additional funding of €2.6 million secured for Reserve Projects

At a launch event in Cherry Orchard Football Club today, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O'Brien announced the successful projects that have been awarded funding under Phase 2 of the Community Climate Action Programme, alongside an additional €2.6 million in funding to support further high-quality projects from Local Authority reserve lists.

The announcement forms part of the Government’s continued investment in community-led climate action through the Climate Action Fund (CAF), with almost €27 million (over €26.9 million) being made available to Local Authorities – to support communities building low-carbon, sustainable futures.

The newly announced and additional €2.6 million allocation will enable additional large projects, identified by Local Authorities through reserve lists, to proceed in the coming months. Successful projects under this additional funding stream will be communicated to local authorities today.

Announcing the funding, Minister O’Brien said:

Community climate action – ‘learning by doing’:

The Community Climate Action Programme supports projects and initiatives that facilitate community climate action through education, capacity building and ‘learning by doing’.

Projects funded under Phase 1 of the programme:

Phase 1 of the programme has already supported approximately 650 community climate action projects nationwide.

Projects funded under the programme have delivered a wide range of benefits for communities, including reduced energy costs, enhanced biodiversity, wildlife restoration, improved local amenities and stronger community engagement.

Ambition for Phase 2:

Phase 2 of the programme sees Local Authorities continue to partner directly with community groups to deliver projects that contribute to Ireland’s climate and energy targets, while supporting communities to scale up local climate action initiatives.

Projects supported under the programme address five key themes:

• Community energy.
• Travel.
• Food and waste.
• Shopping and recycling.
• Local climate and environmental action.

The programme is administered through the network of Community Climate Action Officers (CCAOs) in Local Authorities, who provide guidance, support and practical assistance to communities – seeking to become lower-carbon and more sustainable.

The list of successful projects is available at this link: CCAP.