Codema team visits Balbriggan as E2-CUTIES project begins

Members of the Public and Stakeholder Engagement and Energy Planning teams in Codema visited Balbriggan on Monday 24th March as work on a new European project, E2-CUTIES, begins over the coming weeks.

Along with Fingal County Council and the Balbriggan Sustainable Energy Community (SEC), the Codema team paid a visit to the Our Balbriggan Hub to learn more about the ongoing rejuvenation programme for the area, followed by a tour of Balbriggan with the SEC to get to know the area a bit better.

What is E2-CUTIES?

E2-CUTIES is an INTERREG NWE project co-funded by the European Union which aims to empower Local Energy Communities (LECs) by helping them overcome the common challenges faced in relation to governance, community inclusion, technical expertise and legal and financial barriers.

Working with a consortium of 10 partner organisations across different European cities, the E2-CUTIES project will develop toolboxes of best practices and develop step-based roadmaps to be used by LECs.

As part of this work, Codema will be carrying out extensive stakeholder and community engagement with the Balbriggan community, working closely with the Balbriggan SEC. Work on this project will support Fingal County Council’s Balbriggan Decarbonising Zone strategies by facilitating co-creation activities with the community that will lead to prioritised climate actions for the local area.

What is a Decarbonising Zone?

A Decarbonising Zone (DZ) is a specific area that has been chosen by a local authority where a range of solutions are identified to address local low-carbon energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate needs to contribute to national climate action targets.

Decarbonising Zones are aiming for a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030 and to reach net-zero by 2050. Local authorities must work with communities in developing plans for their Decarbonising Zones.

What happens next?

This week, the Codema team will join representatives from Fingal County Council and Balbriggan SEC in Besançon, France for the official kick-off of the E2-CUTIES project with the other project partners.