The members of Wicklow County Council adopted the Wicklow Climate Action Plan 2024 – 2029 on Monday the 8th January at the Ordinary Meeting, pursuant to Section 16 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021.
The Plan provides a roadmap for taking decisive action to transition to a lower carbon and more climate resilient future for the citizens of County Wicklow.
Our overarching goal is to transition to a climate resilient, biodiverse, sustainable, and carbon-neutral County by 2050. The plan builds on Wicklow County Council's commitment to the Local Authority Climate Charter, pledging to achieve a 51% reduction in carbon emissions and a 50% improvement in energy efficiency by 2030.
Mitigation and adaptation measures will be delivered across the services and functions delivered by the Council.
The Plan features a range of actions which are aligned to the following five themes:
- Governance & leadership
- Built Environment & Transport
- Natural Environment & Green infrastructure
- Communities Resilience & Transition
- Sustainability & Resource Management
Chapter 4 contains the 112 Actions for the County while chapter 5 Arklow highlights 23 Actions for the Arklow Decarbonisation Zone. Arklow has been designated as a pilot decarbonisation zone, where the Council will test mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity measures and replicate on a wider scale. Our vision is to develop a low-carbon, vibrant town with a strong focus on renewable resources and sustainable living.
Our Climate Action Plan incorporates robust structures and processes for ongoing monitoring and reporting. Each action will be accompanied by defined indicators to gauge progress accurately.
The council are committed to aligning the reporting of Wicklow County Council's climate actions with the National Climate Action Plan and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring transparency and Accountability.
A copy of the LACAP and associated environmental reports are available for public inspection at the County Buildings, Station Road, Wicklow Town, A67 FW96,Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) between the hours of 9:00am to 5:00pm during the period from the 06th February 2024 until the 18th March 2024.
The Climate Action Plan was subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) under SEA Directive 2001/42/EC as transposed into Irish law under the European Communities (Environmental Assessment of Certain Plans and Programmes) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 435/2004), as amended; and Appropriate Assessment (AA) the EU’s Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC, as transposed into Irish law under Regulation 42(1) of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477/2011), as amended
A SEA Statement is also available for inspection which summarises:
- i. how environmental considerations have been integrated into the plan or programme, or modification to a plan or programme
- ii. how
- a. the environmental report prepared pursuant to article 12,
- b. submissions and observations made to the competent authority in response to a notice under article 13, and
- c. any consultations under article 14, have been taken into account during the preparation of the plan or programme, or modification to a plan or programme,
- iii. the reasons for choosing the plan or programme, or modification to a plan or programme, in the light of the other reasonable alternatives dealt with, and
- iv. the measures decided upon to monitor, in accordance with article 17, the significant environmental effects of implementation of the plan or programme, or modification to a plan or programme.