Wicklow County Council are delighted to announce that Ireland’s third SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Week is taking place this year, running from tomorrow, Friday 20th September until Sunday 29th September.
The SDGs work towards ambitions such as an end to poverty, access to decent work, sustainable consumption, protection of nature, better health and wellbeing, universal access to education, gender equality, climate action, and peaceful societies.
The SDGs belong to everyone and SDG Week is open to all - individuals, groups, schools and colleges, businesses and institutions. Activities, projects and events are taking place during the wider European Sustainable Development Weeks, which started on Wednesday 18th September running until Tuesday 8th October, and can be viewed on https://www.esdn.eu/esdw.
Wicklow County Council Libraries and Climate Action Team have supported and/or planned over 48 events to highlight the Goals during Sustainable Development Week 2024. The following is an example of a number of these events:
Friday 20th September
- Sustainable sewing and life skills in several libraries during the week.
- Big Beach Clean with Clean Coasts taking place at The Murrough, Wicklow and later in Greystones.
Saturday 21st September
- Autumn Bird Migration Workshop, taking place at the North Beach Brittas Bay.
- Irish Bees for Beginners with Brian Murray, at the Wicklow Library.
Sunday 22nd September
- Autumn Scything Workshop taking place at Wild Acres Nature Reserve, Scratenagh near Arklow.
Tuesday 24th September
- Reading Goals Ambassador Ceremony taking place at Greystones Municipal District offices.
Wednesday 25th September
- Bike Repair & Workshops, St. Kevin’s Hall, Blessington
- Tidy Towns Workshop Event held in Greystones.
Friday 27th September
- Biodiversity Workshop for Children - build a Bug Hotel in Blessington Library.
Saturday 28th September
- Gardening course for Biodiversity and Climate Change in Arklow Library delivered by Aoife Munn.
- Bike Repair & Workshops taking place in Arklow Recycling Centre.
- A Seasonal Reset - Mindfulness Workshop in Greystones Library.
- Department for Environment Inaugural Newcastle, Kilcoole and Greystones Climate Action Forum taking place at the Greystones Village Green.
- Guided Walking Tour: Art and the Environment around Wicklow with Greenhouse Culture, meeting at Wicklow Library.
Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr. Paul O’Brien, said, “Our organisation is proud to spread the Goals to all members of society. Wicklow always has a special focus on children and young people through engagement with the ‘Children and Young People’s Assembly’, ‘Comhairle na nÓg’, schools or our public libraries. Wicklow Libraries and Climate Action Team will continue to aim to promote the 17 development goals. Events have been organised for all ages, from young children to adults. The line-up includes workshops, sustainable crafts, family and community events.”
Emer O’Gorman, Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council, added, “The SDG National Implementation Plan 2022-2024 has 5 Strategic Objectives. One of those objectives focuses on the integration of the SDGs into Local Authority work to better support the localisation of the SDGs. In accordance with this objective, Wicklow County Council has aligned a range of various publications, activities and events in order to mark Ireland's third annual Sustainable Development Goals Week, as Ireland works towards the 2030 deadline.”
Wicklow County Council has the following public consultations currently taking place which are relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals:
Biodiversity Issues Paper, which launches on Monday 23rd September for public consultation until Monday 4th November
Wicklow County Council Corporate Plan 2024 – 2029 - closing date Friday 4th October at 5 pm
Draft Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) Policy and Development Guidance - closing date Wednesday 16th October at 4.30 pm
Draft Wicklow Noise Action Plan 2024 - 2028 - closing date Friday 18th October at 5 pm.
Further information on these events or other events can be found on Wicklow County Council's Social Media channels and Website.
Details of all Wicklow County Council public consultations taking place can be found on our consultation hub at https://www.wicklow.ie/Living/ConsultationHub.