Climate Change is now a major consideration in all policies and proposals of Local Authorities. The National Adaptation Framework was published in January 2018 and this together with the Low Carbon and Climate Development Act 2015 provide the context within which Local Authorities are obliged to prepare Climate Action Plans. In 2016 the Department of Communications Climate Action and Energy agreed to fund four Climate Action Regional Offices to link and bring together the expertise and capacity in the Local Authorities whilst also providing a focus for linkages with Central Government Departments, Regional Assemblies, Public Representatives, Agencies, and other relevant bodies. Galway City Council seeks to take a significant leadership role in this area and are currently establishing a Climate Action Team to lead and coordinate activities within the City and to link with the CARO and other Sectoral adaptation strategies as appropriate. Reporting to the Energy Officer the Technician will Support Galway City Council in leading and influencing Low carbon transition, improve energy efficiency, incorporate renewables and reduce emissions and assist in developing the implementation of the Galway City Council response to the challenges of climate change mitigation and adaptation. This is a challenging and exciting position and requires a both a good technical knowledge of climate change and energy generation, the risks and possible adaptation strategies, and a strong project management skill set for the appraisal, management, procurement and implementation of energy efficiency, renewable energy and green tech projects. The role requires a good knowledge of the operation of local authorities and their role and interactions with Government Departments in terms of governance, finance, and reporting structures. Climate Change funding can be made available through a variety of European and national funding streams and therefore, knowledge of potential funding streams and of the processes involved in applying for such funding will be important.
