SSRC Members, Student Research

Research on the Galway City Council’s Local Authority Climate Action Plan (LACAP) and the city’s performance in terms of climate action

| by Mike

Authors:
Meret Stursberg
Natalie Cyrkel
Rebecca McDonnell
Mike Hynes

A copy of the research report can be downloaded from here…

Introduction – What’s the story?

Over the past years, communities in Ireland have been increasingly facing climate change-related issues and many local authorities are confronted with the task of adapting to these changes. An example of this is the Local Authority Climate Action Plan (LACAP), initiated by the Galway City Council. This research focuses on the awareness of citizens of the Climate Action Plan and how they perceive the efforts of the Galway City Council in terms of climate action. In the following, background information about the council’s efforts will be provided, and then, the data from a survey conducted by student researchers at the Social Science Research Centre (SSRC) will be briefly analysed. It is argued that while Galway City Council is making considerable efforts in terms of climate action, the results point towards a potential communication gap in informing the citizens of Galway about, for example, existing active transport projects.

Background – Galway & Climate Action

Galway City Council has made considerable efforts in climate protection over the past few years. In 2023, the minister required local authorities to create a local authority climate action plan as part of the path outlined in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill (2021) to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. A closer look at the Local Authority Climate Action Plan (2024-2029) for Galway reveals working with stakeholders, designing programmes and projects to help achieve goals, and providing opportunities to involve the public to be integral to the creation of the plan. Some key goals are to be an environmentally sustainable, carbon neutral, and biodiverse city by 2050. The Galway City Council’s Climate Action Plan and Climate Action Strategy will work mutually to implement climate protection measures. The establishment of Sustainable Energy Communities (SECs),[i] the Climate Adaptation Strategy (2019-2024), and general work to protect sand dunes, increase flood protection, and reduce air pollution are some examples of steps to be taken by the City Council. Other goals set by Galway City Council include improving energy efficiency by 50% and reducing greenhouse gases by 51% by 2030. In research conducted at various locations in Galway City centre, people were asked about their knowledge of the council’s Climate Action Plan, active travel initiatives, and the city’s performance in terms of protection of the environment and climate action in an eleven-question survey. One hundred and forty full and eight partially completed questionnaires were collected (n=148), with the vast majority of participants living in the city.

Data Analysis – What we found out

In terms of Galway City Council’s Climate Action Plan, a significant majority were unaware of its existence, and most were unaware of where they could obtain a copy of the plan. This points to a significant gap in knowledge, which needs to be closed if the plan is to have widespread acceptance and support.

The majority of respondents demonstrated a good understanding of what active travel means, which is a positive foundation. However, most are unaware of any active travel projects currently being implemented by the council. This suggests that while public awareness of active travel as a concept is high, there appears to be a communication gap on several fronts regarding specific initiatives that should be strengthened to increase visibility and engagement, and ultimately success. Equally, a significant number of respondents are not familiar with the council’s Climate Action Plan or where to find it. This points to the need for further outreach and communication efforts, ensuring that the public is better informed of the council’s goals and actions in terms of climate change.

However, this could also mean there are clear differences in personal experiences or expectations or that awareness and communication about the city’s active travel projects may be inconsistent, leading to uncertainty among the population. The data might also point to varying levels of accessibility of active travel infrastructure across different areas or demographic groups within the city.

Respondents showed mixed views on Galway City’s efforts in biodiversity protection and active travel, with ratings evenly split between “Good” and “Unsure” or “Poor,” highlighting a need for better communication and more equitable infrastructure access. While public transport was largely rated “Poor,” a significant portion rated it “Good”, suggesting room for targeted improvements in service quality to increase overall uptake across the public transport network.

Conclusion – What does this mean?

This research emphasises that the communication of climate action efforts is crucial when it comes to the citizens’ perception of them. While Galway City Council has made considerable efforts in climate protection, many respondents are uncertain of the projects that have been initiated or completed. Further research will provide deeper insights into possible areas of improvement, for example, in active travel projects, biodiversity efforts, or active and public transport. Overall, research in this field will assist local authorities gain a deeper understanding of the perceptions of citizens and support the improvement of policies and communication in a way that is founded on people’s approval and acceptance of the need for climate action in all areas and regions.

References

  • Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. (2021) Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021. Gov.ie: Dublin 2. Available at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/984d2-climate-action-and-low-carbon-development-amendment-bill-2020/
  • Galway City Council. (2019). Climate Resilient Galway City | Adaptation Strategy (2019-2024). Galway City Council. Available at https://www.galwaycity.ie/services/climate-action/climate-adaptation
  • Galway City Council. (2024). Local Authority Climate Action Plan (LACAP) 2024-2029. Galway City Council. Available at https://www.galwaycity.ie/services/climate-action/climate-action-plan.

[i] For more on Sustainable Energy Communities, see https://www.seai.ie/plan-your-energy-journey/for-your-community.