Training is an important element of the implementation of the Climate Action Strategy and the council’s role as climate action leaders, climate action needs to be embedded into all services and projects and become part of our organisational culture. Training was open to staff from all sections, across all grades and it was important to impart that all staff no matter what their job role have an integral part to play in addressing the climate emergency.

It’s recognised that technology will be influential in tackling the climate crisis and at the training workshop technology was used. Using their laptop or phone participants were able to vote on climate quizzes and input ideas which were then portrayed directly on the projector screen, this form of work-shopping ensured a high level of engagement and friendly competition.  At the end of the two sessions, over 500 ideas around how the local authority could lead, enable and inspire on climate action had been generated. The outputs from the workshop will help inform the implementation plan for 2020 and also outline how to proactively continue and develop the education and awareness campaign for stakeholders.

The Climate Action Strategy and the Council’s own ethos around the climate crisis is opportunities focussed and having trained staff provides an additional opportunity both for the organisation and staff, it can make Meath County Council an employer of choice and provides staff with valuable Continuous Professional Development.  

Caroline Corrigan, one of the training facilitators, said “the level of interest and interaction at the workshops from staff and Elected Members was great, as an organisation we should be extremely proud to be the first to provide such training on such an important topic and where we lead hopefully others will follow”