Waterford City & County Council : Climate Neutral Waterford

Climate Neutral Waterford

Climate change is one of the major challenges for mankind this century. It is believed that the driving force behind these changing weather events is the rise in C02 levels caused by the burning of fossil fuels, be it oil, coal or gas. Carbon Dioxide is a naturally occurring gas in the atmosphere but a significant rise has been seen in the past thirty years. It is believed that it has been due mainly to human activity where the burning of fossil fuels is an integral part of the energy generation process. Too much C02 in the atmosphere provokes the Greenhouse Effect, meaning the Earth’s heat is trapped in the atmosphere preventing it from escaping out into space.

Consequently, a rise in the Earth's atmospheric and ocean temperatures happens. An average rise of 2°C in the Earth’s temperature could have a serious effect on how global weather patterns may behave in the future. The outcome of extensive research shows clearly the link between C02 concentration in atmosphere and the Earth's surface temperature. The amount of Carbon and other Green House Gas emissions (GHG), that a person is responsible for, is called a 'Carbon Footprint'. Reducing a person's carbon footprint reduces the effect of Global Warming.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recently published its report, “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis.” The IPCC is the international body responsible for ensuring policy-makers are updated accordingly on past, current and projected climatic trends. The report contains the starkest warnings yet about the influence of anthropogenic emissions on the environment. It is now unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere have occurred. Observed increases in well-mixed greenhouse gas concentrations since around 1750 are unequivocally caused by human activities. C02 concentration is now the highest it has been in 2 million years. The full report can be accessed here.

National and International climate change policies

In 2015 one hundred and ninety six countries (including Ireland) signed up to "The Paris Agreement on Climate Change", aimed to limit global temperature rising 2°C above pre-industrial levels. The European Union adopted the objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. The fixed target for 2020 and 2030 are 20% and 40% of greenhouse gas emission reduction. Additional agreed targets for 2030 includes:

A total of 27% of the energy requirements is to come from renewable energy technologies by 2030.

A target of 27% improvements in energy efficiency by 2030.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021
Ireland intends to reduce its carbon emissions and react to climate change by way of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. It is intended that this amended version of the 2015 Act will facilitate transition to a “climate resilient, biodiversity rich, environmentally sustainable and climate neutral economy.” A target of 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 has also been set. Under the Act, it will be the responsibility of WCCC to formulate a local climate action plan for the city and county within 12 months of the Minister’s request. WCCC will be assisted in its efforts to establish a climate action plan by the Eastern and Midlands Climate Action Regional Office, which will issue guidance documents and help facilitate staff training where necessary.

COP 26
The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) was held in Glasgow between 31st October and 13th November 2021 with the aim of furthering action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. All countries agreed on the Glasgow Climate Pact to keep alive efforts to reduce global warming to less than 1.50C, and to scale up and accelerate climate action. Specifically, there were agreements to reduce worldwide coal usage, to reduce the rates of deforestation, to ensure greater and fairer allocation of global funding for climate change and to reduce the levels of methane by 30% by 2030. The Negotiations are explained here.

Our mission in Waterford City & County Council is to make Waterford the best possible place for all its’ people and for those that wish to live, visit, work or invest here. This mission and the variety of projects at its heart were acknowledged when Waterford won the title of Best Place To Live In Ireland 2021. In keeping with its designation as Ireland’s Best Place To Live, Waterford is intent on leading the national climate change agenda and becoming the first city in Ireland to achieve climate neutrality.

For the past decade and more, Waterford has been actively working towards Carbon Neutrality and preparing for impacts of climate change through both policy measures and the implementation of both adaptation and mitigation projects.

Climate Change Adaptation Strategy

It is accepted at this point that changes to our climate are already evident. The number and severity of extreme weather events has been steadily increasing over the past two decades and it is anticipated that this trend will continue for years to come.

These changes have implications in how the Council delivers its services to the citizens of Waterford and in this context in September 2019, the “Waterford City and County Council Climate Change Adaptation Strategy” was adopted by the elected members of Waterford City and County Council. The strategy will have a duration of 5 years and run until 2024 and be subject to a biannual review. The strategy was developed by the Environment Department of Waterford City and County Council. Support and guidance in the development of the strategy was provided by the “Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment” and the Eastern and Midlands Regional Climate Action Regional Offices. The strategy focuses on the implementation of adaptation measures, which ensures communities, and society as a whole, become resilient to the impacts and risks of climate change.

Please see our dedicated section on the "Climate Change Adaptation Strategy", which can be downloaded from the following link.

EU Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy

WC&CC has been a signatory to the EU initiative, the Covenant of Mayors (CoM), since the 10th of October 2019. The CoM is considered “the world’s largest movement for local climate and energy actions.” Signatories to the Covenant seek to ensure the acceleration of decarbonisation in their territories, an ever-strengthening capacity to adapt to and mitigate against climate change impacts and to allow their citizens access to a safe, secure, greener future. WCCC is one of over 9,000 local and regional authorities across 57 countries committed to the Covenant.

In January 2022 the Council re-affirmed its commitment to the Covenant of Mayors with the adoption by the elected Council of a new Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan 2022 – 2030 (SECAP). The SECAP commits the Council to a wide range of climate and energy reduction measures and the full plan is available here.

Climate Action Plan 2022 – 2030

Under the Government’s Climate Action Act 2021, each Council is obliged to adopt a new Climate Action Plan that will set out the Council’s proposals to attain the national Climate Action objectives and targets.

The measures in this plan will be subject to annual reporting and performance measurement. Preparations to compile the draft plan are currently under way (April 2022)and the draft will be published here once available for public consultation. Please keep an eye on our News tab for updates.

Decarbonizing Zone

In April 2021 Waterford City and County Council nominated the entire area of Waterford City to be a decarbonized zone (DZ) under a Government initiative aimed at creating at least one DZ in each local authority area with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality in these zones by 2040. Demonstrating a really significant level of ambition and uniquely in Ireland, the Council has nominated an entire city area as the proposed DZ zone.

To support this application, the Council developed a Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality which can be downloaded here.

EU 100 Carbon Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030 Mission

In 2021, the EU Commission launched a hugely ambitious mission with the aim of supporting 100 cities across the EU to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. The Cities Mission will involve local authorities, citizens, businesses, investors as well as regional and national authorities to deliver 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 and to ensure that these cities act as experimentation and innovation hubs to enable all European cities to follow suit by 2050.

The Cities Mission aims to take a cross-sectoral and demand-led approach, creating synergies between existing initiatives and basing its activities on the actual needs of cities. In January 2022, Waterford, supported by a number of strategic partners including WIT / SETU and Waterford Chamber of Commerce submitted a bid to join this mission.

Bids from some 370 cities across Europe are currently being assessed by the EU Commission and it is expected that the successful cities will be announced in April / May 2022.

Achieving carbon neutrality in Waterford Council – the story so far

The Council recognises that it must provide leadership in this area and demonstrate through real actions how transition to low / zero carbon can be achieved.

A successful transition to a low-carbon economy requires a bottom-up approach, from the Local Authorities to the Government, to promote awareness and implement projects across Ireland. To date, Waterford City & County Council is currently implementing and planning a range of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Click on each thumbnail for a larger image.

Public lighting is our single largest energy user and the Council has recently signed contracts for a €9m the replacement of circa 15,000 public lights with new energy efficient LED lights (see thumbnail). It is expected that work will commence later in 2022 and be complete by Qtr 2 2023. When implemented the project will lead to over 55% savings in energy use and GHG emissions arising from our public lights and will also provide much greater system reliability while reducing maintenance costs.

The Council is working towards making all of its buildings carbon neutral by 2025. With support from the SEAI over the past decade, the Council has upgraded building insulation, installed new heating systems including air to water heat pumps, CHP units and solar water heating in a number of its main buildings. A 50kw solar pv project was completed in Oct 2021 at the Council’s Dungarvan depot.

Following the closure of its three municipal land fill sites circa 14 years ago, the Council has constructed managed wetlands on these sites to treat the leachate runoff, installed wind turbines to provide power for the leachate pumping systems and created public amenities with parkland areas and nature walks on these sites.

Electric vehicles – commencing in 2013 and in partnership with ESB e-cars the Council has facilitated the installation of public ev charging points across 14 locations in Waterford. The Council is also planning for the electrification of its own vehicle fleet with the first tranche of electric vans due for delivery by summer 2022, EV charging points have been installed at Council depots and a further phase of EV procurement to commence shortly.

Smart litter bins – since 2019 the Council has been installing Smart solar powered compactor bins in its urban areas. These bins are networked through GSM technology with resulting reduced service frequency and greater capacity due to the solar powered compactors.

Active travel – given that the transport sector is the single largest source of carbon emissions in Waterford at some 35% of the overall total, travel is one of the key areas that needs to be addressed. In combine with significant investment from the National Transport Authority, the Council created a dedicated, specialist Active Travel team in 2021 which is charged with the development and implementation of a wide range of interventions including an extensive network of new cycle ways, footpaths and public transport priority measures between now and 2030 with the aim of facilitating a very significant modal shift to these sustainable transport solutions – more details on current projects can be found on our Active Travel section.

The delivery of the very ambitious plans to achieve carbon neutrality in Waterford will require significant resourcing both the Council and national government.

Currently responsibility for climate change in the Council rests with the Environment Department whose policy work is overseen by the Environment, Biodiversity and Climate Change Strategic Policy Committee chaired by Cllr. Pat Fitzgerald with a membership drawn from the elected Council members, the community sector through the PPN, commercial, farming and trade union sectors.

Internally the Council has a cross departmental Climate Action Team chaired by the Chief Executive with the remit of implementing the objectives of the various policy documents. The work of the Climate Action Team is supported by a small full time specialist team.

To implement the wider ambitions of the Council with respect to the Decarbonising Zone and the EU 100 Carbon Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, the Council has provided funding for a full time team. This team will be responsible for leading the climate change agenda in Waterford, working towards the goal of an accelerated ambition in climate neutrality through partnerships with all of the sectors in Waterford, engagement with the wider community, the creation of a new model of participative local democracy and achieving this in a just manner for all.

While at a macro level achieving the Carbon Neutral ambitions will require really significant levels of investment, policy change and priorities at EU, national and local level, there are lots of actions that many of us can take now that cumulatively will drive major changes in reducing our carbon footprints and our reliance on carbon based fuels.

All change starts with the small steps, the small changes in our attitudes and behaviour, in how we live our lives, how we approach our own use of energy and the other resources that support our present lifestyles. Many of these changes can be very positive in not alone tackling the impacts of climate change but can also bring personal health and financial benefits.

The following are some examples of what many of us might consider that will not just reduce our individual carbon footprints but can also reduce our energy and fuel bills:

In the home – consider small low cost changes such as:

changing your light bulbs to energy efficient LED bulbs
turning the heating thermostat down by even 1% can save you 10% on your heating bills
use draft excluders on your doors to prevent heat loss
look at how you dispose of your waste – are you using your recycling and composting bins to the fullest extent
when you are replacing appliances look for A energy rated appliances
food waste – it is estimated that some 40% of all the food we buy is wasted. More careful choices about the quantity of food that we buy can bring significant benefits to our household budgets but also reduce the carbon footprint of food production

To improve the overall energy rating of your home there are very significant levels of grants available from the SEAI to undertake a range of measures from insulation, window / door replacement, heating unit upgrades etc. More extensive assistance is available to those households in fuel poverty and under the recent Government initiative a series of One Stop Shops will be set up across the country that will advise, procure and manage all of the energy upgrades for your home – full details can be found at the SEAI website.

For you personal transport to work, school, the shops or services you might consider walking, cycling or using public transport. The Council is rolling out a series of projects that will improve the cycling and walking infrastructure in Waterford. Did you know that if you are in full time employment you might be able to buy a new bicycle to cycle to work at a very substantial discount through the tax incentivised Bike to Work Scheme – talk to your employer for further details

If you are thinking about buying a new car why not consider an Electric Car (EV) – grants of up to €5,000 and VRT reductions are available on many new EVs. With the increased ranges now available in EVs these are very suitable for the typical daily journeys many of us undertake. While the purchase price even with the grant of a new EV can still be higher than an equivalent petrol or diesel car, in the longer term when you factor in substantially reduced fuel costs, maintenance costs and motor tax, the EV can often work out cheaper. Grants are also available through the SEAI for the installation of home EV charging points.

Handbook on Climate Change Adaption and Mitigation
WCCC Environment section in conjunction with Waterford Energy Bureau have released this twenty four page handbook on “Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation” for council staff and the general public. The booklet was developed to help a greater understanding of the causes and effects of climate change, on our society, and what can be done by “All” to help reduce our carbon footprint. The handbook provides a useful document that can be referenced when deciding on measures to combat the challenges faced as a result of our ever changing climate. This is completed by laying out simple guiding principles and actions which can be implemented and adapted by the entire community at home and in the work place. This is achieved through thirteen case studies covering various measures which are very applicable for the general public to implement.

The booklet begins by looking at what fossil fuels are; what the causes of climate change are, such as, the burning of fossil fuels. It also explains at what the carbon cycle is and how it plays a role in climate change. Furthermore it moves on to describe “climate tipping points” which is where the climate transitions from one stable state to another. These are usually irreversible.

Achieving a low carbon society by 2050 is possible with the implementation of Adaptation and Mitigation measures such as the mentioned, case studies at reducing waste and implementing energy efficient measures. A example of which include reducing food wastage; water conservation, implementing energy efficiency measures in the home and the energy rating of house hold appliances, upgrading to hybrid/EV’s etc. The case studies within the booklet all have an environmental benefit. Download this handbook below.

Climate Change Handbook

Ireland has seen a steady increase in extreme weather events in recent years. This is primarily driven by human activities such as electricity generation via fossil fuels, mass manufacturing of goods and the cutting down of forests. Local Authorities are often on the frontline of these weather events, taking pre-emptive and evasive actions to ensure their areas are safe and well-protected.

Waterford City and County Council continues to respond to the call for increased climate action. It is the ambition of the Council for Waterford to act as a leader and example to the global community of local authorities. To date, the Council has worked on deploying measures centered around adaptation, mitigation and energy. While positive changes have been made, WCCC is aware far more needs to be done if we are to reach our ambitious local and national targets. Below are several climate action case studies which represent WCCC’s works in the realm of climate action to date.

What is Climate Adaptation and Climate Mitigation?
Adaptation – planning for the expected or future impacts of climate change and taking appropriate action to prevent or minimize the damage these impacts can cause.

Mitigation – limiting the speed and scale of climate change. It involves reducing the flow of heat-trapping gases (greenhouse gases) that are entering the atmosphere. This can be done by reducing the sources of these emissions or increasing the number of carbon sinks that can store greenhouse gases. For more information on climate adaptation and mitigation, please see this section of the Climate Action Regional Office’s (CARO) website.

Case Study 1 - Better Energy Communities (Mitigation)
Location: Waterford City and County Duration: 2018-2019

Main Benefits: Home energy upgrades, energy efficiency, emissions reductions, cost-savings to citizen

Through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), WCCC received funding for the Deise Better Energy Communities Scheme 2018. €374,592 was awarded in grant funding. 88% of this was given to local community groups and schools, 8% went to the Council while the remaining 4% was split between varying entities. Overall, an investment of €1.4 million was made in green technologies.

LED park lighting, heat pumps, window and insulation upgrades and community center heating systems were just some of the works that were carried out. The installation of such technologies will significantly improve energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions.

Case Study 2 – Waterford City Flood Alleviation Scheme (Adaptation)
Location: Waterford City Duration: 2012-2014

Main Benefits: Flood protection, Citizen health and wellbeing, Economic Security, urban regeneration

In 2014, a major flood alleviation scheme was completed within Waterford City. There are several areas that are highly prone to flooding. These include: The South Quays, Scotch Quay, Waterside and Poleberry. During this scheme several options were considered to adapt to changing flood levels. Containment of flood waters within the channel was the preferred solution. This was achieved via the construction of reinforced concrete flood walls and flood embankments from Grattan Quay to Waterpark on the River Suir south bank and on both banks of the John’s River and its tributary (Lisduggan Stream) from its confluence with the River Suir to the Tramore Road area. The Tramore Road was also raised by approximately 1.5 metres. The cost benefit assessment estimated that, over time, there will be a 1.5 ratio achieved (total project was estimated at €28.8 million).

To incorporate art and heritage into this climate action measure, quotes from county Historian Charles Smith and agriculturist/travel writer Arthur Young can be seen on the glass panelling of the flood defences. Smith is renowned for producing the first history of the county in 1746. Young is accredited for his 'Tour in Ireland' book that was published in 1780.

Case Study 3 – Kilbarry Nature Park (Mitigation)
Location: Former Kilbarry Landfill Site Duration: 2005 –

Main Benefits: Compensatory wetland habitat re-established, green urban space, biodiversity benefits

Kilbarry nature park is a prime example of the promotion of more sustainable use of lands. Situated on the former Kilbarry Landfill Site, the Nature Park boasts 50 acres of green open space in an urban environment. Along with being a popular leisure amenity with a series of walkways, the park serves several important environmental and biodiversity benefits. A variety of flora have been planted from seed to provide refuge for varying species of insects and butterflies. Stones from the park have been collected to erect walls to protect these areas. 20,000 shrubs have been planted to date. The bog situated within the park is of national importance due to the residence of the Reed Warbler Bird and aquatic biodiversity. Overall, the park is a key carbon sink for Waterford City and helps to alleviate the pressures of carbon emissions from the city on the surrounding environment. This has positive knock-on effects for the surrounding County.

Case Study 4 – The EU Covenant of Mayors (Mitigation and Adaptation)
Location: Waterford City and County Duration: 2022-2030

Main Benefits: long-term energy and climate goals, baseline emissions inventory

In 2019, WCCC signed up to the European energy and climate initiative, the EU Covenant of Mayors. This non-binding commitment seeks to ensure that WCCC reduces greenhouse gas emissions within its territory by 40% by 2030. When officially joining the Covenant, signatories commit to developing a Sustainable Energy (and Climate) Action Plan (SECAP) within 2 years. This plan outlines how the signatory intends to reach its 2030 targets. WCCC has proposed several climate and energy measures under the plan to reach its 2030 targets. A Baseline Emissions Inventory (BEI) was also carried out to gauge the current level of CO2 emissions emitted throughout the city and county. The BEI will influence measures and policy going forward to ensure Waterford stays on track to meet its sectoral targets.

It should be noted that WCCC has selected Waterford City as its designated decarbonising zone as per national requirements. This will require the city to achieve decarbonized status by 2040. This ambition has been accounted for in the SECAP.

Case Study 5: Dungarvan Vehicle Depot Solar PV Installation (Mitigation)
Location: Dungarvan, Co. Waterford Duration: 2021 –

Main Benefits: Deployment of renewable energy technology, CO2 emissions mitigation measure, support of local green economy

As part of efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and advance the use of renewable energy technologies, WCCC installed 129 solar panels on the roof of the Dungarvan vehicle depot. This is projected to reduce 17 tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum by eliminating the need to import electricity from the national grid. The panels will support the electrical needs of the yard and neighboring council depot. Of additional benefit to the local green economy was the fact that Solar Evolution, a Dungarvan company, was employed to carry out the works. 30% of the funding for the project was received from the SEAI via the Better Energy Communities Scheme. Assistance with the funding application was provided by 3Counties Energy Agency.