This week marked a decisive step forward for Malahide’s climate ambitions. At the Malahide Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Group kick-off meeting with ORS, tangible progress was made on the town’s Energy Master Plan. As a Sustainable Energy Community, supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Malahide is working towards a clear objective: to become Ireland’s first carbon-neutral town.
The discussion was focused and grounded in delivery. The Energy Master Plan will assess current energy use across businesses, schools, sports clubs and community organisations, and set out a structured pathway for action. Renewable generation, retrofitting, energy efficiency and behavioural change are all part of the transition. Crucially, this is not abstract planning; it is about identifying practical measures and sequencing them in a realistic way.
What matters most is collaboration. Climate action at town level only works when local enterprises and community groups are actively involved in shaping and implementing the transition. Technical expertise from ORS is being combined with local knowledge and business experience to ensure that the plan reflects operational realities rather than theory.
The Energy Master Plan, due later this year, is not an endpoint. It is the starting line for long-term transformation. If Malahide succeeds, it will demonstrate that coordinated local action can translate national climate targets into measurable outcomes on the ground – enabling a sustainable future for generations to come.
Dr. Katrin Dreyer-Gibney 
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