Waterford Council recognised at national awards ceremony
L-R: Sean McKeown, Chief Executive Waterford City and County Council, Cllr. Damien Ryan, Chair of LAMA, Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Seamus Ryan, Dawn Wallace, Senior Executive Officer, Susan Lee, Community Climate Officer, Diana Prieto, Climate Action Officer, Grainne Kennedy Climate Action Co-ordinator Waterford City and County Council and category sponsor Electric Ireland Superhomes. (Pic: Hu O'Reilly Photography)
Waterford City and County Council has been recognised at national level with a prestigious award.
The local authority was successful in the Best Green Sustainable Initiative category, at the recent All Ireland Community & Council Awards, for its Business Pledge for a 'Cleaner, Greener Waterford' initiative.
The awards, presented by the Local Authority Members Association (LAMA), recognised the collaborative spirit demonstrated by communities and councils across the island and offer a valuable platform to showcase the achievements and positive impact of these partnerships within local areas.
The awards ceremony, presented by well-known TV and radio personality, Marty Whelan, was held in the Dublin Royal Convention Centre on Saturday, February 28.
Speaking at the event, Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Seamus Ryan said: “Congratulations to the Environment and Climate Action teams on the continued success of this outstanding scheme. Now in its fourth year, the Business Pledge has gone from strength to strength, enabling businesses across Waterford to meaningfully reduce their carbon emissions, with expert guidance, resources and practical incentives.”
“While the individual actions may seem small, their collective impact is significant, delivering measurable benefits for our environment, and reinforcing Waterford’s commitment to climate leadership," said Mayor Ryan.
Sean McKeown, Chief Executive of Waterford City and County Council also acknowledged the work of the environment team in the wake of the recognition, commenting: “I must commend the Environment team, which worked in tandem with our rates department on this incentive, which is unique to Waterford."
“By becoming more aware of energy saving opportunities and exploring renewable energy options, businesses can not only reduce costs but also drive meaningful change," he said.
"Embracing a clear sustainability strategy and committing to lower carbon emissions strengthens both environmental performance and long-term resilience," he added.
Mr McKeown went on to comment: "Collectively, these actions have the power to deliver lasting, positive impact for businesses across the city and county.”
As part of the Council’s roadmap to delivering a Carbon Neutral Waterford by 2040, the local authority invites local businesses to take the Business Pledge and strive towards a creating a cleaner, greener Waterford, and commit to completing at least two actions over 12 months to reduce the carbon footprint of their business and avail of a 9 per cent discount on their commercial rates bill.
A spokesperson for Waterford Council said the premise of the project was that a baseline emissions inventory of Waterford City revealed that businesses were the largest source of emissions in the city - accounting for 28 per cent.
Many are small businesses that struggle to find the time or capital to invest in changes that would make their business more sustainable.
Over 1,000 businesses have taken the pledge, and Waterford City and County Council continues to give them the support, resources and advice they need to become more sustainable.
