18-05-2025
Cork City designated special EU status to unlock major funding to achieve climate neutrality by 2030
Cork City has secured a special EU designation that will help unlock vast European and State funding and private investment, for projects to accelerate its journey to climate neutral.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin marked the formal awarding of the prestigious EU Mission Label to Cork by the European Commission at a special discussion event in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday, with input from the city council, the third-level sector, businesses, Irish Rail and Bus Éireann.
David Joyce, the city council's director of services for emergency management and climate action, said the designation now provides the city with exciting opportunities to access funding through various EU and European Investment Bank funding streams.
'It is an endorsement of the approach we have taken, and we look forward to working with local, national, and international stakeholders and partners to deliver projects that would make a meaningful difference on our path towards making Cork City climate neutral,' he said.
Cork produces nearly one million tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, with UCC research for the city council, published in 2023, showing home energy usage and road transport emissions are responsible for two-thirds of the emissions.
Households alone account for 34% of the total emissions, with road transport, especially cars, accounting for another 29%.
The balance of emissions come from commercial and industrial buildings (22%), public services (7%), agriculture and fisheries (6%), and waste (2%).
Climate neutral city by 2030
Around the same time, Cork was selected to take part in the EU's 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, with the participating cities striving to become climate neutral by 2030.
Each had to bring stakeholders together and demonstrate a whole-of-city approach to tackling emissions.
In Cork, the group includes representatives from the city council, Comhairle na nÓg, MTU, UCC, Cork Business Association, Cork Chamber of Commerce, the HSE, the Construction Industry Federation, business group Ibec, Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann, ESB Networks, An Garda Síochána, the Cork Public Participation Network, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, and the Cork ETB.
The city also had to prepare a climate contract which went through a rigorous assessment before the Mission Label status could be formally awarded earlier this month.
The European Commission said the designation for Cork is in recognition of the city's strong leadership and very ambitious climate action plans, which includes plans to try and achieve climate neutrality by 2030, with a target of at least 80% greenhouse gas emissions reduction over 2018 levels.
Several major projects are already under way across the city in a bid to reach those targets, including:
The retrofitting by the city council of more than 1,000 social homes;
The construction of more than 70km of safe cycle routes and greenways around the city;
Advancing plans for BusConnects Cork, which is set to increase bus services by 53% and electrify the bus fleet;
Consultation of the emerging preferred route for the 17km Cork Luas;
Expansion of the commuter rail network, and preparation for the electrification of the service;
And the creation of a €860,000 fund to help Cork community organisations deliver climate action projects.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Dan Boyle described the Mission Label as a 'powerful lever for change'.
'This award is European recognition of our ambition to have a city with top-class public transport, a vibrant, greener city, with safe, new and attractive amenities, more energy-efficient buildings, and a city that is easier to get around on foot or by bike,' he said.
'We have developed our approach to climate action in a holistic way to encourage innovation, new ways of working, new partnerships and new social and economic opportunities'.
