CRISIS: Kildare is missing climate action targets 'by a barn door'

There is an urgent need to roll out special zones in six Kildare towns

More action needs to be taken to address the environmental impact of carbon in County Kildare.

Green Party councillor Peter Hamilton told a county council meeting that minimum targets are being missed “by a barn door.” Carbon production causes global temperatures to rise.

He also asked KCC to 'outline its role in the provision of EV charging points for mature apartment complexes in this municipal district, supporting the Maynooth Decarbonising Zone objectives, to include any liaison with the agencies, council, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and management companies.'

Cllr Peter Hamilton

Maynooth will be the county’s first DZ and others are likely to follow in Naas, Celbridge, Monasterevin, Leixlip and Newbridge.

A decarbonising zone is an area where a range of climate mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity measures are identified to address local low carbon energy, greenhouse gas emissions and climate needs to contribute to national climate action targets.

Cllr Hamilton asked the council to start the process to identify follow-on low-carbon communities after Maynooth in the Climate Action Plan, to identify communities to follow rapidly what is learnt in the DZ and for further innovative initiatives to support the rapid progress required in emissions reduction towards the 2030 targets.

“I’m confident there will be positive plans in place in at least a couple of the five additional towns,” he said at a Kildare County Council meeting, adding that there is nevertheless a need to focus on progressing this - because County Kildare’s climate action plan must be finalised by December or January next.

Maynooth was selected as the candidate DZ for Kildare and according to KCC “work continues to develop the plan."

“We’re on our way to 2030 (when greenhouse gases are due to be dramatically reduced across Europe) and we have very challenging targets,” said Cllr Hamilton.

In a report, KCC official Marian Higgins said other projects and partnerships are also being pursued “to maximise collaborative efforts to deliver on climate objectives for the area into the future.”

She added the Maynooth DZ project is a demonstration and a “test bed” of what is possible for decarbonisation and climate action at local level in Maynooth “that also works to support and realise national climate ambition.”

Given that Maynooth is in its early phase of development, it’s envisaged that what is learned as well as associated projects are replicated and scaled up in other areas as they advance.