DTCAGSM Climate Actions 2023

The DTCAGSM Climate Policy Working Group held its first meeting on 21 March 2023. The group has representatives from all divisions and will develop, monitor and report on the department’s climate action policies, projects, programmes and schemes.

The Green Team have completed the department’s first Climate Action Roadmap and have submitted it to the SEAI. An updated version of the roadmap will be released in Q3 in line with new guidance from SEAI.

Many of the National Cultural Institutions have held events to educate and engage the public on climate action including:

• an exhibition in National History Museum focusing on threats to biodiversity from pollution and climate change
• a talk in February on St Gobnait and the folklore of bees in the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life
• a pilot scheme for the support of a Sustainability Advisor to Screen Ireland-supported live action features and tv drama projects was launched recently with a grant of €3,000 per project available

Coimisiún na Meán has been established with a legislative function to promote programmes relating to climate change and environmental sustainability and promote environmental sustainability in the practices of broadcast and online services.

Údarás na Gaeltachta received planning permission from Donegal County Council for a 14.1 hectare solar farm development at Ard na Ceapairí, An Bun Beag, Co. Donegal. The photovoltaic farm will contribute to the local economy, serve as a valuable source of income for local development groups, reduce the carbon footprint and enable the adjacent Pairc Ghnó Ghaoth Dobhair (Gaoth Dobhair Business Park) to move away from fossil-fuel generated energy and towards sustainability and energy independence.

On 14 June 2023 the first stakeholder engagement event for the development of a new national policy framework for Culture, Creativity and Climate took place at Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise. The Minister welcomed stakeholders from arts organisations to local authorities and practicing artists to feed into the policy framework and opened a public consultation on the same day.

Fáilte Ireland, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), the Gaelic Athletic Association and RTÉ have been selected as SDG Champions in the Sustainable Development Goals Champions Programme. The champions are to act as a good practice example of how an organisation or group can contribute to the SDGs and integrate the SDGs into their work or activities.

For National Biodiversity Week (19-28 May 2023) the National Museum of Ireland has held a number of events including a biodiversity day at Turlough Park in county Mayo, an online talk on biodiversity and birds at the Dead Zoo in Dublin and the National Museum of Ireland - Decorative Arts & History, Collins Barracks taking part in the No Mow May Initiative. Explore biodiversity in Ireland and beyond for National Biodiversity Week 2023, National Museum of Ireland.

In May 2023, Fáilte Ireland launched four new Regional Tourism Development Strategies 2023-2027 (Ireland’s Ancient East, Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands and Dublin) which will provide a framework for sustainable tourism development across Ireland.

Creative Ireland has published a number of reports analysing the impact of the Creative Climate Action Initiative on Climate Change Awareness, Engagement & Action in Ireland. Reviews for each of the projects funded by the first round of the Creative Climate Action Fund were undertaken as well as a more in depth analysis carried out with the MaREI Centre for Energy, Climate & Marine. In this research, it was found that the Creative Climate Action events had a significant impact on audience members and participants in terms of increased awareness, positive engagement and motivation to act in relation to climate change. The Creative Climate Action experiences enhanced connection with the natural environmental and motivated and empowered participants to act in relation to climate change. For example, 70% felt empowered to take climate action, while 74% planned to take climate action or make changes to their behaviour or lifestyle.

Creative C-Change Report (creativeireland.gov.ie)