In 2021, the Government published its first Public Sector Climate Action Mandate which highlights the main climate action objectives for public bodies. It envisages the public sector leading by example on climate action to reach the target of reducing Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and becoming climate neutral no later than 2050. But what does this mean in practice for Donegal Education and Training Board as a public sector body? In this blog our Director of Organisation Support and Development, Andy McGovern, who leads on our climate action activities as our Climate Champion and Energy Performance Officer, explains what it means and what we are doing.
Over recent years organisations around the world have begun to recognise and respond to the need to take action to tackle the climate change issue. Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB) is playing its part in the drive to address this crisis. The public sector is asked to lead by example and our response, along with all public sector bodies in Ireland, is framed and guided by the Government’s Climate Action Plan 2021 (CAP21) and the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate.
Public bodies have been set three main targets under the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate:
- Reduce energy-related Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 51% in 2030.
- Improve energy efficiency in the public sector by 50% by 2030.
- Update Climate Action Roadmaps annually within six months of the publication of the Climate Action Plan.
This Mandate requires us to address several areas: Our Targets; Our People; Our Way of Working; and Our Buildings and Vehicles. Our Climate Action Roadmap, the first iteration of which was published at the end of June 2024, outlines in further detail how we intend to address these areas in the period to 2030. This roadmap will be continuously updated and submitted annually to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and our parent Departments.
There is also a separate Schools Sector Climate Action Mandate. This mandate requires schools to develop a Sustainability Policy Statement. Sustainability is defined in the Mandate as “The ability to exist and develop without depleting natural resources for the future.”
Given that Donegal ETB is active in the provision of both Schools and Further Education and Training (FET), we are working to comply with both Mandates.
We are working hard to meet our targets. Some examples of how we are doing so include:
- Investing over €300,000 to date in initiatives to address our Climate Action targets. This investment has gone into areas such as Energy Audits, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for schools (like you see in the video below of Errigal College), building fabric upgrades, improved energy-efficient heating and monitoring systems, and the installation of LED lighting. Hopefully, with continued backing from our funding bodies, this figure will grow exponentially over the coming years.
- We have established a Climate, Energy and Sustainability (CES) steering group led by our Chief Executive and including Senior Management representatives from across the organisation. This group provides leadership and direction to our work in this area.
- We have an Energy Management Working Group to focus specifically on how we can improve our energy efficiency and meet what is referred to as our “Gap to Target” (what we need to do to meet our targets). This group has benefitted from the input and guidance of our SEAI-appointed energy adviser and has done an enormous amount of work in identifying and prioritising areas where we can make significant improvements.
- We have convened workshops involving key internal stakeholders including School Principals, Centre Managers, and Caretakers to bring ideas forward and discuss steps we can take to improve our energy management.
- Providing training to staff.
There are also numerous other ways Donegal ETB can, and is, contributing to Climate Action:
- Our FET team has developed courses such as “Environmental Sustainability in the Workplace” which aims to help businesses adapt their practices.
- Incorporating Green Public Procurement in relevant categories (more information here).
- Partaking in the “No Mow May” initiative.
Green procurement is an interesting area where we are seeing creative examples of some sustainability practices that are making a difference, such as:
- 100% compostable packaging and utensils for school meals.
- The shredding of paper under stationery contracts being recycled to provide bedding for animals.
- School buses being washed with harvested rainwater.
This gives a small flavour of the ways in which Donegal ETB is playing its part in attempting to combat the effects of climate change. There is no doubt that this has become, and will remain, a key focus of the organisation in the years ahead as we work towards meeting our 2030 and 2050 targets.