COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, May 11, 2009
HEADED ITEM NO 8.
HEADED ITEM: S. O'Brien
CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY
REPLY:
| South Dublin County Draft Climate Change Strategy | |||
| Draft Version 2.0 | |||
| April 2009 | |||
DRAFT CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY FOR SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY
Introduction
South Dublin County Council through the Environment Strategic Policy Committee (SPC), in accordance with the National Climate Change Strategy has prepared a climate change strategy for South Dublin County. The purpose of this strategy is to promote best practice in relation to climate change issues. This will be manifested through the Council’s strategic corporate documents. The Council will endeavour to achieve the cooperation of our partners on various committees such as the County Development Board, the six Strategic Policy Committees (SPC’s) and Local agenda 21 to further the aims of the Strategy.
CO2, due to the amount released, is the greenhouse gas that has the strongest effect on climate change and the strategy focuses primarily on the reduction of CO2 gases. CO2 mainly comes from the combustion of fossil fuels and our use of energy which is commonly in the form of fossil fuels, is strongly connected to climate change. Due to the release of these gases the climate has already started to change and will continue to do so giving higher global average temperatures, higher sea levels and changes in weather patterns leading to more extreme events with risk of extended periods of extensive flooding.
South Dublin County Council is committed to limiting the future impacts of climate change but recognises that it is a transboundary and advanced problem and therefore consideration must be given to adaptation measures. The National Climate Change Strategy 2007 – 2012 states that ‘as part of a comprehensive policy position on climate change, the Government is committed to developing a national adaptation strategy’ and that ‘this strategy will provide a framework for the integration of adaptation issues into decision-making at national and local level.’ South Dublin County Council is therefore awaiting the publication of the national policy on adaptation measures to ensure that future adaptation measures taken by the Council will be consistent with national policy.
An adaptation measure regarding the development of drainage services and flood protection over the next quarter century has already been explored and is set out in the Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study (GDSDS). In the short to medium term in Ireland the likely effects of climate change will be in the area of precipitation. Over the last three to four decades it is clear that rainfall intensities have increased dramatically punctuated by longer periods of drier weather. It is now not unusual for intense storms to deposit one fortieth of the total annual rainfall in as short a time period as one hour. This monsoon like intensity of rainfall brings with it challenges in terms of urban flood management.
That Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study (GDSDS) therefore identifies the infrastructure required to service existing and new development in the context of dealing with storm water and foul effluent. As part of the production of this study a detailed report was prepared on climate change impacts and this document gives coherent guidance, particularly to new development, on how climate change impacts should be addressed.
CO2 emissions in the County can be divided between five major sectors – residential, services, manufacturing, transport, agriculture and natural. There are also some emissions from the waste management sector.
Under Irelands obligations to the Kyoto protocol greenhouse gas emissions have to be limited to 13% above 1990 levels by 2012, but at present far exceed this. In addition ambitious EU targets will see Ireland required to reduce its emissions to 20% below 2005 levels with a considerable (16%) contribution from renewable energy sources.
The Climate Change Strategy for South Dublin County is in accordance with the National Climate Change Strategy and with other agencies and State Departments. Close co-operation with all the local authorities in the Dublin Region is envisaged. The strategy will cover the years 2009-2012 in the short-term, but also takes into account a medium-term view to 2020 and beyond. Once each year the strategy will be reviewed and updated.
Five focus sections have been chosen for the strategy - energy, planning, transport, waste management and biodiversity and the actions and key performance indicators under each of these headings are set out below. Also set out below, under each of the 5 headings, are the actions currently being taken by South Dublin County Council. The section on biodiversity outlines actions to mitigate against climate change. The tracking of seasonal patterns of animal or plant population will be an integral part of the climate change strategy for South Dublin County Council. The data taken from this research when linked with meteorological data is counted as the most effective impact indicator of Climate Change
In addition to this the Council will pay due regard to the agriculture sector in South Dublin. 58% of land in South Dublin is classified as rural and a proportion of this land is given over to agricultural activities. Some of these activities can be beneficial towards climate change, such as ‘carbon sinks’ of planted or retained forestry and protected habitat such as peat land. But other activities such as cattle farming and use of fertiliser produce significant quantities of GHG’s. South Dublin County Council will explore the practicality of mitigation measures outlined in the National Climate Change Strategy such as an increase in the REPS program, dietary intervention techniques in cattle and renewable energy production from forestry by-products.
Energy awareness campaigns play a major role in informing people of their own energy use and providing them with a toolkit to alter this behaviour and reduce the associated emissions. South Dublin County Council in association with CODEMA will launch a council wide ‘Switch off’ campaign which will target council employee’s energy behaviour.
INDICATORS AND ACTIONS
The intention is to define immediate and practical steps for direct action by South Dublin County Council with timetables and targets. Therefore, a limited number of indicators are selected from a long potential list, at least in the first instance, in order to give a sharper focus on achieving real results. They are selected on the basis of being realistic and readily understood by the general public. The targets are designed to be specific, achievable and measurable from year to year.
The corresponding actions, which are set out in each of the five sections, focus on the areas that are under the direct control of South Dublin County Council, or at least within the Council’s sphere of major influence.
General Indicator
Apart from the indicators listed under each section of the strategy, a general indicator for the progress of South Dublin County regarding the decrease of Green House Gases (GHG) has been chosen. This indicator is:
1. Tonnes of CO2/capita/year
General Actions
Three other important general actions have been identified, as follows:
§ Identify areas for support from National Government, which will support and facilitate the delivery of the actions set out in this Climate Change Strategy
§ Climate Change proof the South Dublin County Council Development Plan and other plans, studies and policy documents
§ Prepare and adopt an Action Plan on Energy for South Dublin
Targets
§ The County Council will set specific targets for the reduction of emissions in relation to energy use, transport, housing and waste management. These targets will be developed as part of the consultation process which is proposed to take place in early 2009. In developing these targets the County Council will consult with key stakeholers.
Energy
Actions Taken by South Dublin County Council
Solar: Clondalkin Sports and Leisure Centre has the largest array of solar panels in the country and the County Arts Project solar panel scheme has recently been completed.
CHP: Tallaght Leisure Centre produces its electricity and heat through a CHP system
Biomass: St Marks Youth and Family Facility has a wood pellet boiler on site for its space and water heating
Biogas: The Councils landfill at Arthurstown contains an energy recovery plant generated from the landfill gas and produces electricity equivalent to the electrical demand of 5,000 houses per annum
Building Management System (BMS): A BMS is used to control energy consuming plant in the Civic Offices. Software logic is used to control various switching functions of lights, heating zones and ventilation. This has resulted in a 10% saving in energy and its associated CO2 emissions.
Public Lighting: There are 27,000 street lights under the control of the council which account for 58% of the total CO2 emissions for council activities. The council has identified this area as a priority in reducing energy consumption and emissions. Several pilot dimming schemes have been initiated and a study is being conducted to assess the potential for retro fits, new energy efficient lamps and a tele monitoring software system.
Targets
Indicators
2. Total share of renewable energy for social housing, public buildings and installations, including traffic
3. Number of sustainable and renewable energy heating sources installed in Council owned property
Proposed Actions
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Use sustainable and renewable heating sources in new council buildings and promote the use of such technologies where possible in retro fit situations
§ Carry outa feasibility study on the implementation of a district-heating network in the South Dublin County Council area and developers will be approached on the benefits of district heating and encouraged to consider district heating for their developments.
§ Following on from the district heating feasibility study technical and operational guidelines for district heating in South Dublin will be developed, published and disseminated to inform both planners and developers to ensure compatibility between different schemes
§ Carry out a study to identify areas suitable for renewable energy development, such as the current wind farm feasibility study
§ Promote best practise in renewable energy through the Council’s own projects and operations
§ Switch to renewable energy for the councils own electricity supply as far as is practical within the established procurement process
§ Install energy efficient outdoor and indoor lighting and convert all traffic lights to LEDs which are much more energy efficient than conventional light bulbs
§ Appoint an Energy Champion from within the senior management team to drive forward energy conservation throughout the County Council through “Action at Work” type programme
§ Nominate a staff member as Energy Liaison Officer in each department to ensure that best practices in energy efficient are adopted and that the “Action at Work” programme is implemented
§ Set an overall average target of 3% per year reduction in total energy end-use for the Council’s own operations, giving total reduction of 33% by 2020, in line with the national targets and exceeding the requirements of the EU Energy End-use and Energy Services Directive
§ South Dublin County Council have engaged CODEMA as consultants to advise on matters of sustainable energy and sustainable development
Actions Taken by South Dublin County Council
Development and Local Plans: South Dublin County Council planners have been developing methods to insure that all land use plans produced by the council are consistent with the National Climate Change Strategy and ,if adopted, the Council’s Climate Change Strategy. This has been evident in the Councils plan-led approach to increase residential densities where appropriate, minimise loss of agricultural land and prioritise areas for zoning where alternative modes of transport are available/planned.
Energy use in the residential sector: A number of projects are underway in the council’s housing projects section which will have a direct impact on increasing sustainable energy and reducing CO2 emissions. Energy efficiency in the council’s 8,600 homes is being achieved through improving the thermal performance of the dwellings. In 2004 the council set itself the policy objective of achieving ‘Common quality standards’ across its stock by 2010, with the specific focus of maximising energy efficiency of the stock. The measures include proper insulation of walls, floors and roofs, insulation of the hot water storage system, replacement of inefficient windows with high grade argon filled low e double glazing and the replacement of inefficient heating systems. All council properties that did not have central heating systems were the first targeted and these were fitted with natural gas fired central heating, which emits much lower levels of CO2, after which other heating types were targeted. This phase was completed ahead of schedule in May 2006 and has already removed 6,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum.
An example of new developments where South Dublin County Council is influencing high energy efficiency and environmental standards are the Adamstown and Clonburris developments. The two developments were scrutinised at the masterplan level to insure that they delivered high energy standards in the areas of transport, buildings and infrastructure and that they are future proofed toward the rising national energy standards. Adamstown is in the construction phase with many units already completed and the rail hub adjacent to the town proving an invaluable link to the city centre and a success in the reduction of car use. Clonburris is still in development phase but looks set to become a ‘shinning example’ for future projects in the South Dublin County Council region in terms of town planning, energy efficiency, renewable energy and transportation links. A sustainability and energy committee has been set up to advise on the continuing evolution of the Clonburris project.
Transportation: Examples of what has been done within the transport sector in connection with planning are the construction of the LUAS.
Water: South Dublin County Council has reduced unaccounted for water (UFW) from 42% in 1996 to 17% in 2007
Targets
Indicators
4. Number of Council owned A and B rated buildings - within the social and private residential sector and as a percentage of the building stock
5. Number of Council owned A and B buildings –within the commercial and public buildings sector as a percentage of the building stock
Proposed Actions
In order to reach the targets above, the actions below will be taken by South Dublin County Council
South Dublin County Council’s Own Activities
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Carry out an economic analysis of the cost of (a) stabilising South Dublin’s total CO2 emissions at present levels and (b) reduction of CO2 emissions as part of an Action Plan on Energy for South Dublin.
§ Reduce the energy consumption across all Council owned social housing and within its own facilities through education and refurbishment. As a part of an Energy Action Plan, detailed audits of South Dublin County Council’s buildings will be carried out. In the audits opportunities of energy efficiency and use of renewable energy will be delivered.
§ Promote the use of solar thermal panels in both private and public housing.
§ Carry out a pilot demonstration project for Passive House Standard Housing in one new Social Housing scheme
§ Target and promote a carbon neutral Sustainable Community demonstration project
Sustainable Planning
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Include good information in all planning projects so that people are willing to live in new forms of housing, be more energy conscious, conserve water, recycle and be more litter conscious, and use public transport
§ Promote overall sustainability in developments and not only focus on individual areas
Energy Use in the Residential and Commercial Sectors
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Influence private builders to improve the design standards of new buildings through a variation of the South Dublin County Development Plan 2004-2010
§ Introduce requirements for the high energy and renewable requirements in the forth coming County development plan 2010-2016
§ Promote the use of SUDS where appropriate
§ Introduce requirements in line with National policy, for the highest energy saving standards in planning permissions for alterations of existing buildings
§ Investigate new financial support mechanisms for delivering local advice, guidelines and information to building owners in order to encourage refurbishment of the existing building stock (commercial and residential), as these services can not be delivered at local level at zero cost
§ Develop a programme for small businesses to help them be more energy efficient.
§ Work with the many large companies that have chosen South Dublin for their operations, toward a reduction of CO2 emissions in their activities.
§ As part of the programme to reduce leakage (unaccounted for water) and conserve drinking water, continue to replace defective mains
§ Promote water conservation through the Tap-tips campaign and implementation of the ‘Bye-laws for the Management of Water Services and Conservation of Drinking Water 2004’
Development and Local Plans
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Develop the built environment of the county to be more consolidated, making good use of existing ‘brownfield’ land. Maximise access and use of public transport, in particular rail based modes and minimise the need for the use of the private car as far as possible
Transport
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Continue to take sustainable transport aspects into consideration when planning new housing areas
§ Influence the improvement of the public transportation network
§ Extend and improve the cycling and walking network and ensure that there are sufficient cycle path and cycle parking provisions in all new development areas
§ Facilitate the location of park and ride sites in new areas adjacent to good public transport.
§ Thoroughly evaluate the environmental aspects before giving planning permissions for shopping centres, specifically examining carbon miles for goods sold and proximity of the centres to their customers
Actions Taken by South Dublin County Council
South Dublin County Council is working and will continue to work with both hard and soft measures.
Pedestrian: SouthDublinCounty Planners have prepared green routes throughout the County, such as Griffeen Valley Park, Lucan to encourage walking and cycling
Cycling: There is 141.12 km of cycle tracks in South Dublin County Council, which is comprised of 63.19 km on street; 27.38 km adjacent to carriageway and 27.38 off road. A further 40 km is planned.
ROADMAP: South Dublin County Council uses the ROADMAP internet based system to coordinate all road and service projects to ensure the minimal disruption to transport systems and the efficient undertaking of these projects to avoid multiple trips and unnecessary waste of energy
Public transportation: Since all efforts to reduce car traffic will have only a small impact if a good public transportation system is not in place, South Dublin County Council has been working actively to increase the number of trips made by public transport and to reduce the dependency on private car trips since 1994 when the report “The Dublin Transport Initiative” was written. Apart from reducing the GHG emissions public transport is clearly more efficient than cars in terms of person trips and promoting public transport therefore also reduces congestion.
One of the measures has been the implementation of Quality Bus Corridors throughout Dublin. Through monitoring it has been shown that there is up to a 20% fall in car use on these routes and up to 40% on the Tallaght corridors. There is currently 44 km of QBC’s with another 24 km planned.
Intelligent Transport System: South Dublin County Council has a traffic management centre that manages the county traffic in different ways to increase the efficiency, safety and reduce the GHG emissions. For example there are 120 traffic signals at junctions, 97 signalized pedestrian crossings and 32 junctions with CCTV on the system and they have been shown to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20% due to the controlled sequencing of traffic signals. Real time traffic information is available on the council’s website.
Traffic lights: In total there are over 200 traffic signal lights in South Dublin County and the council is currently working to retrofit all of these with more energy efficient LED light bulbs, to date 36 have been replaced. South Dublin County Council’s Traffic Department also uses solar power for a lot of its parking meters throughout the county.
Mobility management: It is important to use the opportunity that a new built area offers to implement the ideas of Mobility Management. Therefore, as part of all major planning applications the council assesses the application in terms of its sustainability and takes account of the transport implications of the development. This will signal where a development is likely to generate significant trip demand. The aim of the mobility assessments is to reduce demand for and use of cars by increasing the attractiveness and practicality of other modes of transport.
The Council also intends to target schools for priority action. Significant improvements can be made in conjunction with principals / teachers; parents / guardians; boards of management and pupils.
The Council already has a staff mobility programme in place to encourage car pooling, use of public transport and walking or cycling to work.
Renewable energy: The council has approximately 350 vehicles in its fleet; some of these have been converted to bio fuel or flexi fuel options. As the alternative fuel market is still in its infancy the council is monitoring closely any developments with a view to converting the fleet to the most economic, long term and environmentally appropriate technology.
Targets
Indicators
6. Number of passenger-trips on Bus, Train and LUAS per year
Proposed Actions
In order to reach the targets above, the actions below will be taken by South Dublin County Council .
South Dublin County Council’s Own Activities
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Promote clean and efficient vehicles for the South Dublin County Council fleet, through the procurement process and it will also demand these types of vehicles when procuring transportation services (taxi etc.). Due regard will be given to life cycle analysis which will apply where reliable information is available.
§ Adopt a travel policy regarding journeys made by South Dublin County Council employees on the behalf of South Dublin County Council (conferences etc) that require employees to chose sustainable modes of transport when possible
§ Organise conferences and other such events at locations that are reachable by public transport
§ Facilitate employees to cycle to work and also encourage them to do so by for example providing showers and lockers and bicycle parking and arranging contests and events
§ Continue to review staff mobility programme
Bicycle and Pedestrian
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Increase the number of secure cycle parking spaces across the county and in the car park or outside locations of Council offices/property
§ In conjunction with the Director of Transportation, increase safety measures at junctions for cyclists and pedestrians
§ Improve connectivity of the cycle lane network
§ Influence the possibilities to bring bicycles on trains and buses
§ Develop a marketing strategy to promote cycling
§ Expand pedestrianisation where possible, through schemes such as the Liffey to Locks route and the Dodder Valley Linear Park route
Public Transportation
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Continue the provision of QBCs
§ Continue discussions with the bus companies in relation to the possibility of real time information, which provides timely and accurate data such as route number, final destination, waiting time and service disruptions etc. and which can increase the use of public transport by 6%. South Dublin County Council is already considering such an Intermodal Travel Information System (ITISS)
§ Investigate the possibility of introducing a uniform ticket system for all public transport, possibly also including rental fees for car sharing services and rental fees for bikes
§ Establish a school bus program in conjunction with Bus Eireann, to reduce car travel associated with school trips
Renewable and Clean Fuels
South Dublin County Council, in conjunction with key interest groups, will:
§ Promote the use of renewable fuels within the bus fleet
§ Promote the use of renewable fuels within the Council’s vehicle fleet as mentioned in the actions
§ Promote more research into renewable fuels in South Dublin County Council ’s fleet of vehicles
§ Promote an increased share of clean vehicles and fuels that contribute positively to cleaner urban transport
§ Conduct a pilot scheme for the planting of rape seed on lands north of Corkagh Park
Freight Transport
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Investigate the possibilities of building a logistics centre (or several) where trucks leave their goods and then clean vehicles can transport them to the major centres on optimised routes
Mobility Management
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Promote the use of Mobility Management Plans, including Workplace Travel Plans, within the public and private sectors and for the Council’s own staff
§ Promote the use of video conferences
§ Develop policies which promote the implementation of sustainable travel plans for schools Taisce’s Green Schools programme
Car Restriction
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Investigate the possibilities of further restricting car traffic in residential/shopping areas and giving higher priority to pedestrians at traffic lights lights
§ As a member of the EUROCITIES network South Dublin County Council will continue to participate in and promote European Mobility Week and Town Without My Car Day, each year.
Actions Taken by South Dublin County Council
Prevention: To prevent the generation of waste a fundamental behavioural change in waste management practices is required by the householder, business, industry etc. In the Waste Management Plan for the Dublin Region 2005-2010 there is an aim to prioritise waste prevention across all sectors and South Dublin County Council has given a commitment to provide adequate resources and staff to educate and raise awareness. Therefore, South Dublin County Council has appointed an Environmental Awareness Officer, whose focus includes the education of the community on better waste practices including prevention and minimisation of waste.
Furthermore the Council’s environmental awareness program includes a range of activities to encourage more sustainable behaviour. This includes the promotion of the green schools program, liaison with the business sector, composting workshops and ECOweek.
In addition to staff resources in this area, South Dublin County Council funds, in conjunction with the other three authorities, a dedicated regional waste awareness website, www.DublinWaste.ie. The website, which receives in excess of 90,000 hits per month, contains helpful information for preventing, minimising and recycling wastes. Also, a pay-by-weight system for non-recyclable material was introduced in 2005, which further encourages people to prevent and minimise waste.
Reuse: In 2006, the FREE Trade service was launched for the Dublin region and with it the implementation of a sustainable resource reuse policy. The web-based service allows people to advertise unwanted items for free, and thus extending the life span of items. To date it is estimated that approximately 4,300 items have been reused through the service. South Dublin County Council helps fund the on-going development and maintenance of FREE Trade. Supporting advertising campaigns continue to be rolled out to raise the profile of the service fully. South Dublin County Council also supports a range of community reuse schemes.
Materials Recycling and Biological Treatment: The green bin collection service provides householders with a readily accessible outlet to maximise the recovery of dry recyclable materials. The service has grown steadily and is now servicing over 82,000 homes in South Dublin. In 2005 over 12,000 tonnes of waste was diverted from landfill, up 10% on the previous year. In addition, South Dublin County Council together with the other Dublin Local Authorities have purchased a site at Ballymount in South Dublin and developed a sophisticated materials recovery facility for the Region.
The delivery of the brown bin service to householders across the county is a key part of the waste strategy. The service will divert organics away from landfill and thereby reduce the GHG emissions. The separately collected material will be diverted to higher waste treatment solutions, such as composting and anaerobic digestion, and provide for better resource efficiency. South Dublin County Council subsidies composters at its council depot sites and will rollout the brown bin scheme shortly. The provision of biological treatment capacity is underway, with two central facilities planned: at Ballyogan (composting process) and Kilshane Cross (anaerobic digestion is open for consideration).
Energy Recovery: The Councils landfill at Arthurstown contains an energy recovery plant, the gases that would normally escape into the atmosphere and contribute to climate change are diverted to a gas turbine and converted to electricity and fed into the national grid, equivalent to the electrical demand of 5,000 houses per annum.
Landfill: The current landfill operations at Balleally and Arthurstown will only continue in the short-term until alternative capacities are available. South Dublin County Council together with the other Dublin Local Authorities aim to deliver one regional disposal facility for the landfilling of non-combustible and other wastes in the long term.
Transportation of waste: To limitthe transportation of waste, the aim is for Dublin to become, as far as possible, self-reliant in terms of waste management. To fulfil this, the development of centralised biological treatment facilities, materials sorting, WtE and landfill facilities are underway. All of the planned facilities are sited within the Dublin Region at locations selected following detailed siting studies and assessment of waste flows. The chosen sites will limit travel distances for the movement of waste within the Region.
Waste that is collected is deposited at the Ballymount waste transfer station and compacted to a ratio of 2:1 greatly reducing the amount of trips needed to transport the waste to landfill.
Targets
Indicator
7. Tonnes of (methane producing) organic waste diverted from landfill
8. Share (%) of waste that is recycled
Proposed Actions
In order to reach the targets above, the actions below will be taken by South Dublin County Council.
South Dublin County Council’s Own Activities
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Under a new green procurement guideline, make demands regarding packaging and other waste related issues when procuring supplies etc.
Prevention
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Continue to expand the resources for awareness and educational staff and campaigns specifically targeted at waste prevention at the household, school and business level
Reuse
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Continue to promote and extend the FREE trade web service
§ Maintain the support of existing community reuse schemes through educational and financial support and support the development of new initiatives
Materials Recycling
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Meet the 59% (Waste management Plan) recycling target by 2013 and make Dublin a leading recycling region in Europe
§ Monitor the development of new internal markets for recyclables and actively consider the use of recyclable products in line with the new green procurement guidelines
§ Implement the Commercial Waste Bye-Laws to ensure that business and industry source-separate specific recyclable and organic waste generated on-site
§ Monitor the quality of recycled waste
§ Encourage source composting
Biological Treatment
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Progress the delivery of the centralised treatment facilities for Dublin as swiftly as possible
§ Advance the implementation of the brown bin scheme
Energy Recovery
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Continue to develop the infrastructure to capture landfill gas at its facilities
Landfill
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Aim to achieve a landfill gas capture rates of 70-75% are achieved at the existing and proposed landfill facilities to minimize the emissions of methane gas
Waste Transportation
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Optimise the routes travelled by the waste collection vehicles
Ecosystems
Actions Taken by South Dublin County Council
Public Parks and Open Spaces: South Dublin County Council has provided and maintains 55 public parks and numerous open space areas extending to over 1,650 hectares spread throughout the county. The largest parks are the Regional Parks provided at Clondalkin (Corkagh Park, Tallaght (Tymon Park) and Lucan (Griffeen Valley Park). All of these parks contain a broad range of habitat types including grasslands, hedgerows, woodlands, rivers and ponds. Many of these are linked and interconnected and provide valuable wildlife corridors which form a significant “green infrastructure” in the county.
Flora & Fauna Surveys: A detailed flora and fauna survey was carried out in 1999 which demonstrated the diversity of public parks. In the case of Corkagh park, 500 individual species were recorded.
Tree Planting: The Council has planted over 192,000 trees and shrubs since 2002. Emphasis is placed on planting native tree and shrub species, sourced from Irish nurseries
Green Roofs: Green roofs have been installed at the Corkagh and Saggart park depots and on the “Green Machine” building in Lucan.
Public Education: Awareness of the rich diversity of flora and fauna in the county has been raised through the parks website, participation in national initiatives such as National Tree Week, Eco Week, Wildflower Week and Heritage Week by hosting guided walks in the Regional Parks.
Targets
Indicators
9. Habitat maintenance
10. Population Density
Proposed Actions
Actions to Survey Indications of Climate Change
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Track changes in seasonal patterns of animal or plant populations in the park areas and link data with meteorological data and make the results available within South Dublin County Council. In an Irish context these changes of patterns (phenology) are the most effective impact indictor of climate change, for example the length of the growing season of Lime tree. The green building for the green machine program will feed into this.
§ Initiate a project to survey present distributions of indicator butterfly/moth species and track changes in distribution over time. Butterflies and moths are some of the most important indicators of climate change. Butterflies like the Marsh Fritillary are under threat due to land use changes such as the draining of wetlands and the demise of peat lands. Others such as the Holly Blue are increasing in numbers and have spread further north while many of our commoner butterfly species are flying earlier than before
Actions to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change on Biodiversity
Natura 2000 Sites
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Ensure continued stringent protection of Natura 2000 sites which, together with connectivity between them are essential to mitigate against the effects of climate change
§ Create a network of corridors linking Natura 2000 sites to each other, to green areas and to South Dublin County conservation areas. Corridors must be appropriate, for example native Irish hedgerows/tree corridor, canal/river, wetland area, and parks. A cohesive network will allow the most resilient habitats and species to migrate and therefore it would provide the source for shifting ranges of habitats and species
§ Continue to provide public parks and open spaces with significant elements of soft landscaping in new developments with linkages and connections, where possible to the existing network of parkland and open spaces. Such spaces can reduce solar gain and moderate local temperature fluctuations, reduce wind speeds through the planting of trees and reduce flood risks by providing opportunities for rainfall to percolate back to the ground water system.
§ Maintain existing streams and rivers as open channels and avail of opportunities to re-open culverted sections of streams and rivers to promote healthy ecosystems and diversity. This is a mechanism of creating a corridor for species to move and adapt with changing climate. It is also providing much needed waterbody habitats for many species
Planning
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Conduct an evaluation of the impacts and threats of climate change on ongoing planning and development projects both from the mitigation and adaptation perspectives
§ Maintain valuable mitigation habitats such as wetlands and forested areas
§ Identify opportunities for new habitats, buffer zones and wildlife corridors
§ Ensure minimal and appropriately assessed development along riverine zones, including buffer zones
Wetland Provision
South Dublin County Council will:
§ Provide of new wetlands throughout the county. With increased temperatures there will be higher rates of evaporation, which will cause drying of wetland areas. Artificial wetlands will be needed to act as attenuation ponds and also to provide habitat to fish, amphibian, invertebrate species which in turn are needed as food for higher animals such as birds, bats, otters etc.
§ Continue to plant trees and shrubs throughout public parks, open spaces and streets of the county to maintain and expand the area of tree canopy.
§ Provide Integrated Constructed Wetlands with appropriate planting
§ Use semi-permeable paving where possible to allow for seepage and to create habitat for micro organisms
§ Continue to promote the rich diversity of habitat and associated flora and fauna which is to be found in the public park system in the county.
§ Promote and develop “green infrastructure” linkages and wildlife corridors with adjoining local authorities e.g. along the river valleys of the county.
Summary of Indicators
The list below summarizes all the ten indicators mentioned above
| Indicator | Units of measure | |
| 1 | Total CO2 Emissions | Tonnes CO2/capita/yr |
| 2 | South Dublin County Council Renewable Energy share | % of South Dublin County Council consumption |
| 3 | Number of sustainable and renewable energy heating sources installed in Council owned property | No of installations |
| 4 | A & B Rated Council owned buildings - residential | % of all Council owned buildings |
| 5 | A & B Rated Council owned buildings – public buildings | % of all Council owned buildings |
| 6 | Bus, Train & LUAS | Passengers trips/year |
| 7 | Organic waste diverted | Tonnes/year |
| 8 | Recycled waste | % of waste recycled |
| 9 | Habitat maintenance | % Habitat maintained |
| 10 | Population Density | % increase in population density |
Glossary of Terms
BEMS
Building Energy Management System
BER
Building Energy Rating
Biogas
A mixture of methane and carbon dioxide produced by bacterial degradation of organic matter and used as a fuel.
Biomass
Plant, animal or waste material used as fuel or energy
CDER
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rating
CHP, Combined Heat and Power
Combined Heat and Power. The waste heat from electricity generation is put to another useful purpose.
Climate Change
The global climate system is subject to natural variation, but also attributable to human activity arising from the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
CO2
Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas arising from human activities and also naturally occurring.
CODEMA
City of Dublin Energy Management Agency
DART
Dublin Area Rapid Transit
DEAP
Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure
DEHLG
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
DTO
Dublin Transportation Office
Dublin Region
The Dublin Region includes the four local authority areas of Dublin City, Fingal, South Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
EC
European Commission
EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS)
The EU emissions trading scheme came into operation on 1 January 2005. The scheme operates on a "cap and trade" basis. EU Member State governments are required to set an emissions cap for each installation in the scheme. The number of allowances allocated to each installation must be set down in the National Allocation Plan (NAP) for the period in question, which must be approved by the European Commission.
GDA
Greater Dublin Area (Dublin Region and Counties Meath, Kildare and Wicklow)
Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
A gas in the atmosphere that freely allows radiation form the sun through to the earth’s surface, but traps the heat radiated back from the earth’s surface. The heating effect is analogous to the manner in which the glass of a greenhouse traps the sun’s radiation to warm up the air inside the greenhouse. Most greenhouse gases occur naturally and are a necessary part of the global climate system, but their concentrations can be increased by human action, causing climate change
GSHP
Ground Source Heat Pump. A heat pump is a machine or device that moves heat from one location (the'source') to another location (the 'sink'), using work. The energy efficiency decreases with increasing temperature difference. Thus a ground source heat pump, which has a very small temperature differential
is relatively efficient.
HGV
Heavy Goods Vehicles
Indicator
A unit by which increases or decreases in a particular action can be measured
IPCC
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Kilowatt Hour (kWh):
The conventional unit of energy for that electricity is measured and charged commercially.
LED
Light emitting diode, a energy efficient form of lighting
LUAS
Dublin Light Rail System
Modal Share/Modal Split
Modal share, or Modal split, is a traffic / transport term which describes the percentage of travelers using a particular type of transportation.
Modal Shift
Move from the use of one mode of transport to
another, e.g. traveling by public transport instead of driving by car.
MPCDER
Maximum permitted carbon dioxide emissions rating
NOx
Generic term for mono-nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2)
Passive house (Haus)
A specific construction standard for residential buildings with good comfort conditions during winter and summer, without traditional heating systems and without active cooling.
Primary Energy
Energy, that exists in a naturally occurring form such as coal, oil or gas, before being converted into an end-use form.
Primary Energy Consumption
Primary energy consumption refers to the direct use at the source, or supply to users without transformation, of crude energy, that is, energy that has not been subjected to any conversion or transformation process.
QBC
Quality Bus Corridor
Renewable Energy
A natural resource, such as solar energy, water, or wood, that is never used up or that can be replaced by new growth.
RPA
Railway Procurement Agency
SEI
Sustainable Energy Ireland
Solar Energy
Energy derived from the Sun's radiation. Passive solar energy can be exploited through architectural design, as by positioning windows to allow sunlight to enter and help heat a space. Active solar energy involves the conversion of sunlight to electrical energy, especially in solar (photovoltaic) cells.
Tonne of Oil Equivalent (toe)
A standardized unit of energy defined on the basis of a tonne of oil having a net calorific value of 41,686 kJ/kg.
UFW
Unaccounted For Water. Water that is lost from source to delivery, usually through leaks
VOC
Volatile Organic Compounds
.