Clothing the Emperor: Supporting National Climate Change Action in Ireland Through Local Governance Networks
AbstractThe Irish Government has set out policies and a governance framework for implementing action on climate change. However, the potential for local governance architecture to support this process has perhaps been overlooked. This chapter explores how this architecture is not an obstacle in implementing change, but a potential asset, and how it could be mobilised and enticed to deliver a lot more on climate action, sustainable development and disaster risk reduction (DRR). The coastal town of Youghal in County Cork provides an Irish case study through which the value of local governance for climate action is expounded. The chapter also recommends further research to consider the potential for local focus groups to seek sustainable pathways. The ‘sustainable pathways’ concept encourages broad input into decision points that support the selection of sustainable future trajectories, based on an understanding of risk, vulnerability and opportunity.