ENVIRONMENT MINISTER EAMON Ryan has announced €60 million from the Climate Action Fund for community climate projects across the country.

The funds will be invested in community projects and initiatives — like small renewable energy projects, community electric vehicles and charging points, bike parking, repair hubs, activism, and biodiversity gardens — over the next three years and in two phases.

Ryan made the announcement at COP26 in Glasgow at an online event, and also announced the launch of a new long-term structure to support public engagement on climate action. 

“It’s to get communities involved and from the bottom up, to get them engaged in how we shape this and how we deliver it,” Ryan said. 

Ryan also announced the launch of a new National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA) to streamline and support community action and participation on climate action.

“This approach will give everyone the opportunity to engage constructively – to make sure no one is left behind and to deliver on climate action in a fair, just, and equitable manner,” Ryan said. 

“When we held the Climate Conversations earlier this year to prepare the Climate Action Plan, one of the key messages from the public was that they want Government to support and incentivise the kind of changes we need to make at community level,” he added. 

While the Government plans to make investments through the National Development Plan, Ryan encouraged people to apply for the community funding to find “creative solutions at a local level”.