COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, July 13, 2026
QUESTION NO.7
QUESTION: Councillor P. Holohan
To ask the Chief Executive how much SDCC has spent on decarbonisation measures over the past 10 years?
REPLY:
Climate Leadership is identified as a core value in SDCC’s Corporate Plan. This is reflected in the Council’s approach to embedding decarbonisation across service delivery and capital projects, while working towards the statutory climate action targets for local authorities set out in the Climate Action Plan 2024–2029.
Decarbonisation refers to the reduction or elimination of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide, from activities that contribute to climate change. It includes reducing reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas and adopting cleaner, lower-carbon alternatives. Many decarbonisation measures are embedded in the design and delivery of SDCC projects and are therefore difficult to cost separately. For that reason, an overall expenditure figure cannot be provided with confidence. This response focuses on quantifiable expenditure on measures aimed at reducing fossil fuel consumption and does not include wider emissions reductions arising from energy management systems, public lighting retrofit, electric vehicle charging or green infrastructure initiatives.
In addition to direct Council expenditure, SDCC will continue to consider and, where appropriate, seek support from relevant national funding streams for eligible decarbonisation projects. These include the Climate Action Fund, SEAI Pathfinder supports for public sector retrofit and energy performance projects, the Community Climate Action Programme, and other SEAI supports for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. Any such funding is subject to scheme eligibility, application requirements, available allocations and confirmed grant approvals.
Fleet Decarbonisation
Since the first electric vehicle was purchased in 2018, SDCC has spent €987,835.97 on battery electric vehicles. This figure includes VAT and vehicle wrapping costs. Battery electric vehicles reduce emissions when compared with traditional internal combustion engine vehicles and also offer lower running and maintenance costs over their operational lifetime.
In August 2024, SDCC commenced a trial involving 20 vehicles transitioning from road diesel to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). Following the success of the pilot, HVO was rolled out across the full road-going fleet between February 2025 and February 2026. Fuel prices for both HVO and diesel fluctuated during this period. The additional cost associated with using HVO, compared with conventional diesel, is estimated at €34,650.
This additional expenditure is considered a decarbonisation measure, as HVO can deliver lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reductions of up to 90% compared with conventional diesel, thereby supporting the Council’s climate action objectives.
Social Housing Energy Efficiency Retrofits Programme
The Social Housing Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme is primarily aimed at improving energy efficiency. However, as works are delivered as a package to improve Building Energy Ratings, they also reduce carbon emissions. For the period 2016–2026, the Housing Department incurred expenditure of €18.73 million under the programme to upgrade the Council’s housing stock.
New SDCC Buildings
In terms of operational carbon, SDCC’s new-build design approach focuses on ‘fabric first’ and prioritises creating a highly insulated and highly airtight enclosure to minimise the energy input required to maintain optimum levels of comfort for the occupants. This is then combined with heat from renewable sources such as heat pumps, and the installation of Solar PV where appropriate. Our new-build housing and community and non-residential buildings are all designed and constructed to NZEB standards, and to achieve an A BER rating. The costs associated with these aspects of the design are integrated into the overall contract costs and are not tracked separately as they are seen as the cost of compliance as opposed to specific non-standard measures.
SDCC are currently employing innovative construction approaches to minimise the level of embodied carbon in our new-build social housing.
Key Decarbonisation Projects
Tallaght District Heating Scheme
SDCC commenced operation of Phase 1 of the Tallaght District Heating Scheme, trading as Heatworks, in April 2023. Heatworks is Ireland’s first publicly owned, not-for-profit energy company. The scheme is designed to deliver up to 10MW of heat and hot water to the Tallaght area and currently delivers approximately one third of this capacity to Phase 1 customers. The estimated carbon emissions reduction is approximately 1,500 tonnes per annum. Proposals are under way to complete Phase 2 of the network. The construction cost for Phase 1 of the Energy Centre and pipework was €9.9 million, funded through the Climate Action Fund, SEAI, Interreg NWE, customer connection fees and SDCC.
SDCC Energy Performance Contract
This project will progress energy efficiency and decarbonisation works across six SDCC buildings with the highest energy consumption. It is expected to reduce energy consumption by 50%, equivalent to approximately 4.3 million kWh per year, and reduce carbon emissions by approximately 50%, equivalent to approximately 885,000 kg CO2 per year. The capital programme includes an allowance of €8.5 million, with 50% to be funded through the SEAI Pathfinder Grant. Expenditure to date is €14,450.
Active Travel Programme
Active Travel is a key element of SDCC's decarbonisation programme. By enabling a shift from private car use to walking, cycling and public transport, Active Travel projects reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions while also delivering health, accessibility and air-quality benefits. Investment to date includes approximately €104 million in NTA funding for Active Travel schemes, together with traffic management and public transport enhancement measures.