COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC REALM AND CLIMATE CHANGE SPC
Tuesday, November 03, 2015
HEADED ITEM NO.
To consider potential for new Green Flag Scheme - Sports Club/ Community Centres
REPLY:
There are currently 375 sports clubs included in the Council's Community Database. Some of these clubs/ groups work with our Communications and Awareness Unit in various pro-environmental activity.
There are currently two national green initiatives:
Green-Schools, known internationally as Eco-Schools, is an international environmental education programme, environmental management system and award scheme that promotes and acknowledges long-term, whole school action for the environment.
Green-Schools is operated in Ireland by An Taisce - the National Trust for Ireland
This is a long-term programme that introduces participants (students, teachers, parents and the wider community) to the concept of an environmental management system, and the aim is to increase students’ and participant awareness of environmental issues through classroom studies and to transfer this knowledge into positive environmental action in the school and also in the wider community.
This scheme is based continual improvement under a 'seven step' system as follows:
2. Energy
3. Water
4. Travel
5. Biodiversity
6. Global Citizenship - Litter & Waste
7. Global Citizenship - Energy
Schools that have successfully completed all the elements of the programme are awarded the ‘Green-Flag’. This award has now become a well-recognised Eco-Label. The award has to be renewed every two years.
Green Communities works towards empowering community groups to improve their local environment, enhance biodiversity and reduce their resource usage. It is also operated in Ireland by An Taisce.
This is largely achieved through community environmental improvement initiatives - supported by training sessions, action based environmental activities and field trips.
Green Sports / Community Centre
There is certainly potential to investigate initiation of a pilot Green Sports / Community Centre with focus on early elements of the Green School initiative, namely the Litter / Waste, Energy and Water.
If this pilot proved successful, approaches could be made to An TAisce to consider roll out on a national basis in line with the Green School and Green Community Schemes already in place.