The Portlaoise Climate Alliance, working for a Low Carbon Portlaoise, met for their first bi-annual session of 2025 recently.
With over 35 members, representing 21 Portlaoise based organisations attending on the day, the event was hosted by Laois Education Support Centre, and supported by the Climate Action Section, Laois County Council.
Simon Walton, Director of Services, Laois County Council addressed the Alliance. He said: “In 2017 a strategic vision for the development of Portlaoise was published, ‘Portlaoise 2040 and Beyond’.
“So much has been achieved in the past eight years, since the plan was adopted.
“Various organisations and groups, many of whom are represented in this Portlaoise Climate Alliance, have delivered measures making a significant contribution towards the greening of Portlaoise, exposing the Town’s rich heritage, renewing and revitalising the Town Centre, exposing the River Triogue, implementing active travel and public transport measures and enhancing opportunities for local employment and enterprise.
“Going forward, our collective strength lies in ensuring that all projects, irrespective of scale and who is delivering them, have regard to the objectives of ‘Portlaoise 2040 and Beyond’.
“In that way, the collective, positive impact of all these projects will be highly impactful. Well done to all contributing to the Portlaoise Climate Alliance.’’
During the morning a creative collaboration session was facilitated by Eleanor Saunders, a specialist in education for sustainability and innovation.
Creative collaboration involves bringing in stakeholders from a variety of areas to build a wide network and increase capacity.
Eleanor said: “Systemic change will not come from one group of like-minded people, it has to ripple across all communities and organisations.”
With Eleanor’s guidance the Alliance members worked through steps in creative collaboration including creating the right environment, using appropriate tools and supporting diversity.
Updates were presented by Alliance members on projects delivered since their last meeting in October 2024.
Michéle Castiaux, an Alliance member and Green-Schools Travel Officer, showcased the successes from Year 1 of the Portlaoise Schools Cluster project.
This involves all 10 mainstream Portlaoise schools sustainably traveling to and from school and is supported by Laois County Council. View short video of highlights from Year 1 here.
Karen Moore, Climate Action Section, Laois County Council spoke on the highly visible results of the partnership between Portlaoise Tidy Towns and Laois County Councils Area Office, in the pollinator friendly roundabout plantings.
She described the progress shown in Laois’ Climate Action Plan – Implementation Report, as after the first year there are only 7 of the 59 actions still to deliver in Portlaoise’s Decarbonising Zone.
Karen commented on the success of recent sustainable travel projects for Portlaoise.
She said: “The new Portlaoise bus service launched only February this year has already over 9,000 weekly trips being taken.
“Moreover, since launching August 2024 Bolt Bikes has had 25,000 separate trips registered totalling nearly 53,000kms distance cycled.
“The rapid uptake in these sustainable travel options for Portlaoise shows the need that is being met by these services.”
In between rain showers the Alliance enjoyed a tour of the Centres Biodiversity Demonstration Garden guided by members involved in its establishment, Suzanne Dempsey, Climate Action Coordinator, Laois County Council and Liam O’Neill, Chair of Laois Teachers Climate Action & Biodiversity Committee.
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