I campaigned for years as a Councillor on Newry Mourne and Down Council for the Council to use its existing powers to tackle climate change to the financial benefit of the ratepayer. It was an uphill struggle where the big parties were content to issue press statements ‘calling for something to be done’ by someone else like Stormont or Westminster rather than use Councils own existing powers.
During December 23’s COP28 I published daily blogs my struggle to get my local Council to take meaningful action in line with National Targets. These eventually formed the basis of my book that was adopted by the National Association of Councillors as a training manual for all Councillors. This resulted in me being nominated as Councillor of the Year in 2025 by the NI Local Government Association. Click on this link to see book.
The link under the picture of Ireland (above left) takes you to the output of the “Climate Action Camps” I lead for young teens in South Down, helping young local people to learn the skills to campaign effectively for change to deliver climate solutions that would generate jobs for young people locally.
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- #15 in COP28 SERIES – JOBS OF THE FUTURE DEPEND ON OUR ELECTRICAL GRID BEING UPGRADED
THE INADEQUACY OF OUR LOCAL GRID IS DAMAGING OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE IN SOUTH DOWN AND SOUTH ARMAGH I have been campaigning for local businesses to get the same access to the all-Island grid network as they have in the Republic so as they can transition to green energy, save money and produce renewables for the… Read more: #15 in COP28 SERIES – JOBS OF THE FUTURE DEPEND ON OUR ELECTRICAL GRID BEING UPGRADED - # 14 in COP28 SERIES – TARGET £1 MILLION pa BY REACTIVATING ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM
This was my 9th submission to the Strategic Finance Committee – aimed at re-starting the highly successful energy efficiency campaign halted by management in 2017, Councillors voted to create this programme of savings and we have never voted to end it. It is now 2023 and we are in a Climate Emergency. there is no… Read more: # 14 in COP28 SERIES – TARGET £1 MILLION pa BY REACTIVATING ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM - # 13 IN COP28 SERIES – SAVE 000’s £’s STOP BUYING FOSSIL FUEL VECHICLES IMMEDIATELYWhen I submitted this paper to Council’s Strategic Finance Committee in October 2020 , the 250-strong Association of British and Irish Councils (NFLA) had already advised to all Councils on these Islands in 2019 “Stop buying ICE-engine fossil fuels immediately” . Not just as a key way to tackle Climate Change, but because over their… Read more: # 13 IN COP28 SERIES – SAVE 000’s £’s STOP BUYING FOSSIL FUEL VECHICLES IMMEDIATELY
- #12 in COP28 SERIES – MAKING TOWN AND COUNTY DEVELOPMENT MORE SUSTAINABLE – FOR FREESECTION 76 POWERS This was the 7th of a series of proposals to the Strategic Finance Committee of Newry Mourne and Down Council in 2021. Seeking to transform the rates base of Council for the better and at no cost to the ratepayer. This was another proposal that had already been embraced by other Councils… Read more: #12 in COP28 SERIES – MAKING TOWN AND COUNTY DEVELOPMENT MORE SUSTAINABLE – FOR FREE
- #11 in COP28 SERIES – OUR TOWN CENTRE CARPARKS – PROFITABLY ELECTRIFYING TRANSPORT FOR THE RATEPAYER
This was the 5th my series of proposals to our Council’s Strategic Finance Committee aimed at transforming the rates base of Newry Mourne and Down and making our ratepayers financially better off. As is usual in these posts, I am using the example of other Councils who are already doing it. In this case DUNDEE… Read more: #11 in COP28 SERIES – OUR TOWN CENTRE CARPARKS – PROFITABLY ELECTRIFYING TRANSPORT FOR THE RATEPAYER - #10 in COP28 Series. USING THE 2015 DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PLANS TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE
HOW COUNCILS ACROSS ENGLAND TRANSLATE – ‘CLIMATE CHANGE EMERGENCY’ MOTIONS INTO BEST PRACTICE ACTIONS Like our Council, County Durham passed a ‘Climate Change Emergency’ motion in 2019. Their motion resulted in serious action in their Climate Change Emergency Response plan 2022 – 2024 This strong and rapid response is typical of Councils in GB. WHAT WE… Read more: #10 in COP28 Series. USING THE 2015 DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PLANS TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE - #9 in COP28 Series. SETTING A £10 MILLION TARGET FOR RATES FROM RENEWABLES (#9 in series of at least 14 posts)
THIS WAS THE BONES OF MY 4th SUBMISSION TO COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC FINANCE COMMITTEE IN 2021 This series of posts is aimed at transforming the rates base and income of Newry Mourne and Down Council in a manner that could provide up to 50% of the revenue we currently receive from our hard-pressed business and household… Read more: #9 in COP28 Series. SETTING A £10 MILLION TARGET FOR RATES FROM RENEWABLES (#9 in series of at least 14 posts) - #8 in COP28 Series. SAVING £ 1 MILLION ON COUNCIL ELECTRICTY BILLS (#8 in series of at least 14 posts)
THIS WAS THE BONES OF MY 3rd SUBMISSION TO COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC FINANCE COMMITTEE IN 2021 When I wrote this submission, Newry Mourne and Down Council’s total electricity bill was £913,894. But it now over £1 million. Council was paying an average of 14p per Kwh in 2021 – so this translates 6,527MWh’s of power per… Read more: #8 in COP28 Series. SAVING £ 1 MILLION ON COUNCIL ELECTRICTY BILLS (#8 in series of at least 14 posts) - #7 in COP28 SERIES – COPY IRISH AND ENGLISH COUNCILS – REDUCE RATES BY MILLIONS ANNUALLY WITH ENERGY STORAGE (#7 of at least 14 posts)
ENERGY STORAGE – NEW SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR COUNCILS (my second submission to Council’s Strategic Finance Committee in 2021) Local Authorities in Britain are investing in Energy Storage facilities to increase their non-rates income like South Somerset and also to make their PV Solar farms more valuable by being able to dispatch their energy to… Read more: #7 in COP28 SERIES – COPY IRISH AND ENGLISH COUNCILS – REDUCE RATES BY MILLIONS ANNUALLY WITH ENERGY STORAGE (#7 of at least 14 posts) - #6 in COP28 SERIES – COPY ENGLISH COUNCILS – REDUCE RATES BY MILLIONS ANNUALLY WITH LARGE-SCALE PV (#6 of at least 14 posts)
(my first submission to Council’s Strategic Finance Committee in 2021) There are so many GB Councils delivering for their ratepayers and tackling Climate Change at the same it is hard to choose any one. BUT West Suffolk Council did come to make a presentation to 0ur Council at the Killeavy Castle Hotel in South Armagh.… Read more: #6 in COP28 SERIES – COPY ENGLISH COUNCILS – REDUCE RATES BY MILLIONS ANNUALLY WITH LARGE-SCALE PV (#6 of at least 14 posts) - #5 in COP28 SERIES – HOW ALLIANCE TEAMED UP WITH SINN FÉIN & DUP TO SET TARGETS FOR COUNCIL MANAGEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE (#5 of 14 posts)
By November of 2021, it had been clearly established that action by Council on Climate Change reduced costs, broadened the rates base and gave Council new revenue streams, All-round good news for the ratepayer as you have seen in the last post. Cross-party consensus was archived that, whatever ones position on Climate Change, Councillors had… Read more: #5 in COP28 SERIES – HOW ALLIANCE TEAMED UP WITH SINN FÉIN & DUP TO SET TARGETS FOR COUNCIL MANAGEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE (#5 of 14 posts) - #4 in COP28 SERIES – THE DETAILED FINANCIAL CASE FOR COUNCIL TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE – we can BOTH save the planet AND deliver lower rates demands for the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council ratepayer. (#4 of at least 14 posts)
Each day during the COP28 Climate Change Conference in Dubai, I am writing a new article on this website and on my Facebook Profile and Facebook Page. I am telling the real-life story with real-world examples of how myself and the South Down Alliance team on Newry, Mourne and Down District Council are leading the… Read more: #4 in COP28 SERIES – THE DETAILED FINANCIAL CASE FOR COUNCIL TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE – we can BOTH save the planet AND deliver lower rates demands for the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council ratepayer. (#4 of at least 14 posts) - #3 in COP28 SERIES – DIRECTING COUNCIL MANAGEMENT WITH PRACTICAL STEPS TO DEAL WITH CLIMATE CHANGE and save a pile of money for the ratepayer(#3 of 14 posts)
Following our October 2019 Climate Change Emergency motion, the South Down Alliance Team in Council had expected rapid action by Newry Mourne and Down Council Management in view of the millions of pounds of savings, additional income and a broader rates base action on Climate Change would bring to our Council. By early in the… Read more: #3 in COP28 SERIES – DIRECTING COUNCIL MANAGEMENT WITH PRACTICAL STEPS TO DEAL WITH CLIMATE CHANGE and save a pile of money for the ratepayer(#3 of 14 posts)