Climate Change and Environment

Adaptation Measures

• To Implement 8 goals and 25 specific objectives of the “Waterford City and County Council Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2019-2024”;
• These include the mainstream adaptation, implementing informed decision making, building reliance to the effects of Climate Change, capitalising on opportunities; and provide green infrastructure measures to control/ manage surface water;

Mitigation Measures

• LED retro fitting of 16,000 WCCC public lighting to begin in 2020;
• Reduce energy consumption to meet 2020 and 2030 energy and CO2 targets;
• Ensure that all WCCC housing stock has a minimum energy rating of B2, by 2030;
• Implement sustainable transport measures such as cycling lanes, electrical vehicles charging infrastructure and community rural transport services;
• Increase the level of tree coverage in both urban and rural areas;
• Promote compact growth through reducing the need to travel;
• Promote passive solar design and energy efficient Nearly Zero Energy Buildings;
• Prioritise sustainable and active modes of travel;
• Promote waste reduction and the re-use of existing building stock;
• Place residential, employment, commercial, community services within easy 10 min walking and cycling catchments.

Development if not managed in the correct way can intensify natural flooding process, therefore a strategic flood risk assessment will be carried out to avoid flood risk and substitute less vulnerable uses when avoidance is not possible.

As part of the preparation of the development plan the Council will include policies to support the reduction of the impacts of climate change, promote energy

conservation and greater use of renewable energy sources/ technologies as well as identifying measures to minimise the potential for flooding in the area.

The development plan will also be subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) to consider its potential effects on the natural environment and on EU protected sites (Natura 2000) and their networks.

Key Information

 

WCCC’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy

adopted 2019

0.5m 

sea level rise by 2050

  

Reduce fossil fuels and reliance on gas, oil and peat

 

In 2016 WCCC adopted its Renewable Energy Strategy

30% 

Reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 from that basis net zet zero emissions by 2050

   

Support the decarbonising of heating building, transport and related emissions