Public Awareness

One of the biggest challenges to tackling climate change is public acceptance of the risks and the associated demand for solutions to reduce these risks through policy and services. There are two types of solutions - top-down, such as governmental policy and regulations, and bottom-up, led by citizen demand for change. For a successful route to reduce climate risk, both levels of solution need to be addressed.

A 2018 special Eurobarometer report[12] surveyed each member state across differing social and demographic groups and recorded public attitudes to climate change. The survey found that 94% of Irish respondents considered climate change to be entirely or partly due to human activity, with an average of 86% agreeing that extreme weather events (such as heat waves and extreme cold, floods and heavy rainstorms) are to some extent due to climate change. In terms of the impacts of climate change, 64% of Irish respondents thought that there would be increased food and water shortages by 2050. In addition, 97% agreed that measures to promote energy efficiency should be implemented as a solution to climate change, and 90% agreed that subsidies for fossil fuels should be reduced. In addition, 89% of Irish respondents agreed that tackling climate change can present opportunities for jobs and boost the economy, highlighting that there is an appetite for change and a consensus on the seriousness of future impacts.

Over the course of two weekends at the end of 2017, the Citizens’ Assembly discussed how the state could make Ireland a leader in tackling climate change[13]. The Assembly heard presentations from a range of experts in areas such as the science of climate change and international policy. Over 1,200 submissions were received from the general public, advocacy groups, professionals and academics. At the end of the process, the Assembly voted on 13 recommendations, all of which were overwhelmingly agreed. The recommendations demand top-down action from the government, in order to encourage and facilitate bottom-up actions from Irish citizens. By prioritising public transport over road networks, higher carbon taxes, provisions for community owned energy developments and feed-in tariffs for domestic energy production, the conditions would be in place to allow the growth of bottom-up solutions. The Assembly also underlined the need for public bodies to take a leadership role by climate-proofing their own facilities, reducing energy use and applying low-carbon solutions to their services. In addition, risk assessments of critical infrastructure were seen as essential to increase the state’s resilience to adverse climate impacts.

This CCAP is cognisant of the role that the DLAs must play in increasing citizen awareness and participation in climate solutions and the unique position that local government holds in interacting with its citizens. The protection of critical infrastructure, facilitating bottom-up solutions and applying regulations, where possible, are at the centre of this plan and will be strengthened in future iterations.

The Council recognises the role of the business community in addressing climate change. In implementing and updating the CCAP into the future, the Council will engage with the business community and relevant bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce, Local Enterprise Office, etc. This can include strengthening existing networks and creating new climate change links, to encourage all business community stakeholders to engage with climate change action and enhance existing projects and initiatives. Interest areas could include energy efficiency measures, renewable energy opportunities, climate adaptation and resilience measures, access to funding sources, etc. There is also scope to further explore partnerships across sectors to facilitate climate action project delivery.

The Council also recognises the importance of public and stakeholder engagement in addressing climate change. In recent months, there has been a range of citizen and community engagement initiatives carried out from national to local level. The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has established the National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA) to drive citizen engagement in climate action across Ireland. Co-ordinated by the EPA, the objectives of the National Dialogue on Climate Action are to:

  • Create awareness, engagement and motivation to act (locally, regionally and nationally) in relation to the challenges presented by climate change;
  • Create structures and information flows to facilitate people gathering to discuss, deliberate and maximise consensus on appropriate responses to these challenges, and to enable and empower appropriate action;
  • Establish, on a long term basis, appropriate networks for people to meet periodically to consider evidencebased inputs on the economic, social, behavioural, environmental and public aspects of climate and energy policy; and
  • Provide regular input, through the NDCA, into the prioritisation and implementation of climate and energy policy, which can be reported and monitored at local/ regional/national levels

To date, two regional NDCA workshops have been carried out in Athlone (June 2018) and Tralee (November 2018). Separate to the NDCA, a range of local and community initiatives have also been undertaken across the country, including Climate Ambassadors, Green Schools, EcoMerit, ECO-UNESCO, etc.

It is recognised that there is a need to foster and build momentum on wider citizen engagement in climate change, across all age groups. Local authorities have significant experience in engaging citizens through their existing functions, including land-use planning, housing, employment, transport and environmental efficiency and awareness. Local authorities are also engaged in existing public participation structures and approaches that are bottom-up, local community centred and are outcome focused. These include the Public Participation Networks, Local Community Development Committees (LCDP), Tidy Towns, Sustainable Energy Communities, etc.

Younger citizens have also engaged with the climate change agenda by participating in the #FridaysForFuture campaign, including rallies outside Government buildings. The Council aims to develop further links with younger citizens in enhancing climate change awareness and developing educational initiatives in partnership with schools and youth organisations such as Comhairle na nÓg and Foróige.

It is considered that by implementing and updating the CCAP into the future, strengthening existing networks and creating new climate change links, this will progressively inform and encourage all citizens, communities and other stakeholders to have increased access to information and advice. Interest areas could include identification and implementation of relevant energy efficiency measures, renewable energy actions, climate adaptation and resilience measures, access to funding sources such as SEAI grant schemes, the Climate Action Fund, etc.

Local authority efforts in citizen and community engagement should be supported by the Climate Action Regional Office, the Environmental Protection Agency and other relevant stakeholders. It is part of the CARO remit to engage and support the National Dialogue on Climate Action on a local and regional basis, and also to develop education and awareness initiatives for the public, professionals, schools, NGOs and other agencies engaged in driving the climate change agenda.

Case Study

#COUNCILS4CLIMATEACTION PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENTS

To coincide with the public consultation period of the Dublin Local Authorities' Draft Climate Change Action Plans 2019-2024, Codema worked with the four Councils and the Dublin Climate Action Regional Office (CARO) to run a number of public engagement events in each local authority area. 

The public consultation period ran from the 11th of February to the 25th of March 2019. On the first day of the public consultation, Codema launched the website www.dublinclimatechange.ie, which acted as the central online platform to host all information about the plans, details on how to make a submission, a filter function for users to easily view the actions in the plans by thematic area and/or by local authority area, a case study area for successful completed projects, etc. 

On the 16th February 2019, Dublin City Council held its main #Councils4ClimateAction public information event in the Round Room at the Mansion House from 12-5pm. Organised by Codema, the Dublin CARO and the Council's climate action team, this event featured a range of public information stands, which corresponded to the five actions areas of the Climate Change Action Plan, so that citizens could engage with Council staff on the work that they are doing or planning to do in the areas of Energy and Buildings, Transport, Flood Resilience, Nature-Based Solutions and Resource Management. There were also a number of external stakeholders involved in this event, such as advice on grants and home upgrades from SEAI (Energy & Buildings). information on the GoCar scheme and electric car test drives from Hyundai (transport) and advice on reducing your food waste from the EPA Master Composters programme (Resource Management). There was also great participation from groups representing young people, such as Comhairle nÓg and ECO-UNESCO, and a dedicated kids' sustainable play zone with Recreate. 

This event was very well attended by citizens and community groups, with 470 attendees on the day. There was also great media interest, with coverage of the event on RTÉ Television's Six-One and Nine O'Clock news bulletins, Virgin Media One News Bulletins and coverage on radio stations such as RTÉ Radio 1 and Newstalk 106-108fm.

In addition to this main event, Dublin City Council also held a number of satellite public information events in the following library branches:

  • Cabra Library- Tuesday 19th March from 12.30 to 2.30pm
  • Central Library, Ilac Centre - Wednesday 20th March from 12.30 to 2.30pm
  • Rathmines Library, Thursday 21st Marcg from 2.30 to 4.30pm
  • Raheny Library, Friday 22nd March from 12.30 to 2.30pm

A total of 234 valid submissions were received by Dublin City Council during the public consultation process.