Cork community groups invited to apply for funding to deliver on climate and biodiversity goals

Cork City Council has launched the second round of its Community Climate Action Programme Fund, which sees groups able to avail of funding of up to €100,000
Cork community groups invited to apply for funding to deliver on climate and biodiversity goals

Lord Mayor Cllr Fergal Dennehy, Cllr Oliver Moran, Chair Climate action Committee, Cllr Kenneth Collins, Orla Burke, Community Climate Action Officer, Bryan Fitzgerald Cork Docklands Programme Manager, Marilyn Lennon, The Kinship Project and David Joyce, Director of Services, Emergency Management & Climate Action at the launch of the Community Climate Action Fund in Cork City. Picture: Darragh Kane

Community groups are being invited to apply to an almost €900,000 fund for a range of climate actions across Cork City.

Cork City Council has launched the second round of its Community Climate Action Programme Fund, which sees groups able to avail of funding of up to €100,000 that will deliver on key climate and biodiversity actions.

The details were announced at a “climate leaders mingle” event in City Hall, which showcased the communities that benefitted from the first round of funding.

Projects funded under the first tranche included:

Aras Leon and Bishopstown Lions Club — €53,000 for fabric and solar upgrades that will save just over 7,000 kWh per hour, reducing C02 output by 1.81 tonnes, and solar upgrades that will save just over 23,000 kWh a year, reducing C02 output by 5.9 tonnes;

Railway Park Community Group — €22,500 to develop the first “learn to cycle track” in Cork City, combining with four rain gardens as part of a sustainable urban drainage project; 

Sunday’s Well RFC — €25,000 to install solar PV panels, and fund cavity wall insulation; 

Na Piarsaigh GAA Club — €76,340 for LED lighting upgrades; 

St Finbarr’s GAA Club — €100,000 for lighting upgrades, solar PV panels, pumped cavity wall insultation, and new doors and windows; 

Shandon Area Renewal Association — €3,000 for a polytunnel to increase output from its community garden.

A further €860,000 will be allocated for the second round of the fund, with applications opening on October 28, 2025.

Cork City Council said the projects could include some of those from the first tranche, such as energy efficiency upgrades, solar PV installation, as well as composting, community gardens, green walls and tree planting.

Small projects can get up to €20,000, medium projects from €20,000 to €50,000, and large projects funded from €50,000 to €100,000.

Earlier this year, Cork secured a special EU designation aimed at helping unlock European and State funding, along with private investment, for projects to clear its path to becoming climate neutral.

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 to achieve climate neutrality by 2030, with a target of at least 80% greenhouse gas emissions reduction over 2018 levels.

The EU Mission Label to Cork by the European Commission came after it was elected 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.

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