Tipperary County Council hosted an event at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS)in Thurles on April 16th to promote greater awareness of climate action. The Council has identified Mid Tipperary as a Decarbonising Zone. The event featured a range of speakers and over 20 information stands ranging from the Green Business Network, the Local Authorities Water Programme(LAWPRO), TFI Local Link Bus Service, Tipperary Heritage and Biodiversity Offices, to the National Biomethane Office. The event provided a unique opportunity for members of the public and local business to meet service providers and learn about the range of support and funding available to support the shift towards a low-carbon economy and community in Tipperary.
Thurles MD Councillor Peggy Ryan opened the event which featured short presentations from Rachel O’Malley, North Tipperary Development Company; Gearóid Fitzgibbon, Sustainable Energy Community programme; Clare Lee, Tipperary County Council; Ajay Kumar Sutrakar, Biomethane for Carbon and Communities; Seamus Hoyne, TUS; Ruth Smith, Tipperary PPN; Stephen Napier, Irish BioEconomy Foundation; and Ita Horan, Local Enterprise Office Tipperary – see photo below.
Attendees were offered a free lunch from the Food Cloud Truck to highlight the need to reduce food waste to reduce emissions in the production, transport and disposal of unused food – this was sponsored by the Southern Regional Waste Authority.
There was a particular focus on the Circular BioEconomy in Tipperary and Stephen Napier, Chief Executive Officer, Irish BioEconomy Foundation based at the National BioEconomy Campus at the former Lisheen mine site near Thurles, outlined how Ireland can move to a more circular economy.
The BioEconomy is a holistic use of renewable resources from agriculture, forestry and the marine to produce food, feed, materials and energy while reducing waste
Alan Walsh, the newly appointed Decarbonising Zone Officer with Tipperary County Council says the focus over the next months is to “raise awareness and engage with local communities, business and service providers to identify opportunities and deliver actions locally in a bid to achieve low-carbon communities with a sharp focus on job creation, sustainability and resilient communities in Tipperary.”
