Cork County Council is launching its “Make One Change” campaign for the month of November to encourage the people of Cork County to think about climate change and to make small, practical changes to their lifestyles in support of climate action. Taking place during “Cork County Cuts Carbon Month” this November, Cork County Council has organised a series of talks and events focusing on climate action, which are taking place in local libraries all over the county. These events will cover a range of topics from energy saving in the home to fast fashion, connecting with nature, story time for children and much more. The month of activities is a follow-up to last year’s calendar of events which attracted great interest from the public.
The awareness month is timely as the Council has released its draft Climate Action Plan for public consultation. The plan outlines not only the Council’s commitment to reducing its carbon emissions by 51% across its own services but also how it intends to work with other stakeholders to influence communities to make changes at a local level. Ireland has a target to achieve 51% emissions reduction by 2030, with further ambitions to reach net zero by 2050. The plan is available at www.corkcoco.ie and across Council’s libraries for viewing.
Mitigating climate change will happen when everyone plays their part, and that includes all the citizens of Cork County. Climate change is primarily a problem of too much carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere but making small changes to everyday lives can make a big difference in reducing the carbon footprint. For example, the global fashion industry accounts for 10% of global emissions, with the industry belching out 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, more emissions than the shipping and aviation industries combined. Another 10% of global carbon emissions are caused by food waste. Ireland produces around 1 million tonnes of food waste each year with Irish households generating 250,000 tonnes of this, throwing out 150kg of food each year. Cork County Council is encouraging citizens to consider these impacts. Various events will help people understand how their actions contribute to climate change and what changes to make in their lifestyles. The events aim to be practical, informative and encouraging so people can make changes to their own lifestyles. For example, SEAI will host several sessions on energy saving in the home.
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank O’Flynn said: “There are several talks organised in libraries all over the county during Cork County Cuts Carbon month, so we can all learn more about how we can support climate action. This November we call on every person in Cork County to make one change - whether something simple like walking to the local shop instead of driving, reducing your household food waste, every small change can make a huge difference.”
As one persons actions can make a difference, Cork County Council has suggested a number of pledges to ‘make one change’, for adults and children, that can be taken during Cork County Cuts Carbon month, details of which can be found on www.corkcoco.ie.
Valerie O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Cork County Council added, “As a Council, we are continuously striving to make changes and better choices in relation to our carbon footprint. One person or organisation can't fix the climate on their own, but working together we can become part of a generation that does. We are asking the public to make just one change in their lifestyle during Cork County Cuts Carbon month in support of climate action. Making one change can make all the difference.”
