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Local Agenda 21
Could you raise awareness of the environment in your local community?
If so, you may qualify for financial assistance from the Local Agenda 21 Environmental Partnership Fund. The fund promotes sustainable development by assisting small scale, non-profit environmental projects at local level.
Does your project qualify?
Projects should focus on environmental awareness and action which complement national environmental policies, such as those on litter, waste, biodiversity and climate change.
A wide variety of projects and schemes have been supported under the fund in previous years ranging from community gardens, allotments and compost schemes to websites promoting more sustainable lifestyles, educational initiatives and environmental workshops. A list of previous winning projects can be viewed online at www.environ.ie
The closing date for applications is May 28th 2010.
Download Application Form
For more information on the fund, please contact Sharon Carroll, Environment Education Officer on (091) 536564 or e-mail sharon.carroll@galwaycity.ie.
For general information on the fund contact:
John Kennedy, Environment and Heritage Awareness Section, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Custom House, Dublin 1.
Tel: 888 2601/2488/2480
e-mail john.kennedy@environ.ie
Local Agenda 21
Agenda 21 is a blueprint for sustainable development into the 21st century. Its basis was agreed during the "Earth Summit" at Rio in 1992 and signed by 179 heads of state and government.
Chapter 28 of Agenda 21 states: "Because so many of the problems and solutions being addressed by Agenda 21 have their roots in local activities, the participation and co-operation of local authorities will be a determining factor in fulfilling its objectives".
It further states that: "Each local authority should enter into dialogue with its citizens, local organisations and private enterprises and adopt 'a local Agenda 21'. Through consultation and consensus building, local authorities would learn from citizens and from local, civic, community, business and industrial organisations and acquire the information needed for formulating the best strategies".
So while Agenda 21 was a large scale blue print for sustainability, it also highlighted the value and importance of a bottom-up approach. An undertaking was given that local councils would produce their own plan - a Local Agenda 21. This would involve consulting with the community, because it is the people in the area who have the local knowledge needed to make sensible decisions for their future. In Ireland, two sets of guidelines have been published to provide guidance to Local Authorities in producing their own Local Agenda 21 programmes. More information is availble on http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/LocalAgenda21/.