From Climate Plans to Climate Action: The Capacity Challenge Facing Communities Like Malahide

This month brought a mixture of encouraging news and sobering reality for climate action in Ireland.

On the one hand, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) latest projections indicate that Ireland remains significantly off track in achieving its legally binding climate targets for 2030. Current measures are unlikely to deliver the emissions reductions required.

On the other hand, the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien TD, recently announced funding under the Community Climate Action Programme for local community projects. In Malahide, St Sylvester’s GAA Club received over €83,000 to replace floodlights with more energy-efficient LED lighting, helping to reduce energy consumption, emissions, and long-term operating costs. Community Climate Action Programme Funding Announcement

These developments highlight an important question: if we increasingly know what needs to be done, why are we still struggling to do it?

Across Ireland, communities have produced climate action plans, energy masterplans, biodiversity strategies, and sustainability roadmaps. These plans are important. They help communities identify priorities, build consensus, and secure funding. However, my own experience working with community groups in Malahide, together with a growing body of research, suggests that the real challenge begins after the plan is written.

The question is no longer what needs to be done. The question is who has the capacity to do it.

Much of Ireland’s community climate action depends on volunteers. Whether establishing Sustainable Energy Communities, supporting biodiversity projects, reducing waste, promoting active travel, or organising local initiatives, the work is largely carried out by citizens who contribute their time alongside jobs, family responsibilities, and other commitments.

Volunteers bring enthusiasm, local knowledge, and strong community connections. What they often lack are the resources needed to turn plans into reality: project management support, technical expertise, communications assistance, access to funding, and administrative capacity.

Malahide illustrates both the opportunity and the challenge. The town benefits from active residents, businesses, schools, sports clubs, community organisations, and public bodies. There is no shortage of ideas. What is often in short supply is the capacity needed to implement them at the scale required to contribute meaningfully to Ireland’s climate goals.

Communities need stronger support structures.

They need dedicated facilitators who can connect citizens, businesses, local authorities, government agencies, and funding bodies. Funding must increasingly support implementation, not just planning. Communities also need access to expert advice on energy, transport, biodiversity, circular economy initiatives, climate adaptation, and project delivery.

We acknowledge that local authorities, including Fingal County Council, have established Community Climate Action Officers and climate action teams. These roles provide valuable support and have helped many community groups access funding and develop projects.

However, as Ireland seeks to close the widening gap between current emissions trajectories and its 2030 targets, we should ask whether existing capacity is sufficient. Do these officers themselves need additional support? Should densely populated coastal towns such as Malahide have dedicated local climate coordinators or project managers focused on implementation?

If Ireland is serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51 per cent by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050, communities must become active delivery partners. Citizens are willing to help. The challenge now is ensuring they have the support, resources, and capacity needed to succeed.

What would happen if every town in Ireland had a dedicated climate implementation coordinator working alongside volunteers, businesses, schools, sports clubs, community organisations, and local authorities? Would we still be talking primarily about climate plans, or would we finally be delivering climate action at the scale required?