3.2 - Achievements
In addition to the significant flood protection and waste infrastructure initiatives described in Chapter 9, the council has been active in progressing the following climate action related policies and projects:
Climate Action Regional Office (CARO)
The Climate Action Regional Office (CARO) covering the four Dublin local authorities was established in 2018 with Dublin City Council as the lead authority. CARO’s role includes assisting local authorities in preparing Climate Change Action Plans and developing education and awareness initiatives for the public.
The Climate Change Action Plan for Dublin City (2019-2024)
In 2019, a Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) was prepared by Codema for Dublin City Council that sets out over 200 actions across five key areas (energy and buildings, transport, flood resilience, nature-based solutions and resource management) in order to make Dublin City Council and its related operations more adaptive and resilient to the current and future impacts of climate change.
The CCAP for Dublin City was completed in accordance with the requirements of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy to which Dublin City Council is a signatory. The annual report on the CCAP for Dublin City will reflect updated Covenant of Mayors CO2 emission reduction targets for the city.
As outlined in the CCAP, Dublin City Council has reduced its CO2 emissions by 24% in the last 10 years, has improved its energy efficiency by 29.8% and has met and exceeded its 2020 target of 33% by 8.6% (for a total of 41.6%).
In addition, Dublin City Council is continually upgrading its social housing units through its Fabric Upgrade Programme, and since 2013, over 8,000 units have been refurbished, resulting in significant energy and cost savings, and improved comfort levels for residents.
WHO Breathe Life Campaign
In launching the Breathe Life Campaign with the local Comhairle na nÓg, DCC has made a commitment to future generations to ensure that Dublin is a city with clean air, clean water and a high quality of life. As per national and regional policies, the identification of decarbonised zones, low emission zones, and strategic energy zones in the development plan will be essential to ensuring future air quality.
The Dublin District Heating System (DDHS)
Dublin City Council is currently developing the Dublin District Heating System (DDHS) to supply low-carbon heat to houses and businesses throughout the Docklands and the wider Poolbeg peninsula. Waste heat will be taken from the Poolbeg waste-to-energy facility and delivered through insulated pipes to the buildings connected to the system, replacing fossil fuel heating systems and, therefore, reducing air pollution and GHG emissions.
Modos
MODOS, a DCC circular economy training programme, is designed for small and medium sized businesses and consists of four modules which explain the circular economy and how it will provide benefits for businesses in terms of reducing costs, creating a competitive advantage and future proofing. The first series of modules were delivered to 37 small and medium sized businesses in 2020.
Energy Performance Contracting
In July 2016 Dublin City Council was the first local authority in Ireland to implement Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) to facilitate energy-efficiency upgrades and guarantee energy savings for three of DCC's largest leisure centres - namely Markievicz Sports and Fitness Centre, Finglas Sports and Fitness Centre and Ballymun Sports and Fitness Centre. Such innovations led to DCC winning the Public Sector - Energy Leadership Award at the 2020 Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Energy Awards. Based on the success of Energy Performance Contracting, Dublin City Council is planning to collaborate with the four Dublin local authorities to aggregate and scale EPCs for our significant energy users, to assist us achieve our 2030 targets.