Community Environment Action Fund

The Community Environment Action Fund (formerly Local Agenda 21) has operated since 1997, promoting sustainable development by assisting small-scale environmental projects at local level. The projects involve partnership arrangements between local authorities and various local groups including community groups, schools and environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The Fund encourages involvement of local communities in local action and decision-making and assists them in working towards the goal of sustainable development. The value of the scheme is enhanced by the voluntary effort that it facilitates.

The Fund is administered by local authorities, while the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) maintains a coordinating role. Eligible projects support and complement national environmental policies such as those on Waste, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Air, Water and Sustainable Development. Local authorities are required to provide an equivalent amount of funding to successful projects as the funding provided by DECC. Funding can also be supplemented by other sources, for example, the private sector, in order to maximize the potential for partnership arrangements. A wide variety of projects and schemes have been supported under the Fund in previous years including community gardens, allotments and compost schemes, rainwater harvesting systems, educational initiatives and environmental exhibitions.

Update on Community Environment Action Fund 
 
“As a result of restrictions in place due to Covid-19, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications has extended the completion date forprojects of the 2019 Community Environment Action Fund from August 2020 to the end of December 2021.  

 
It is expected that applications for the next Community Environment Action Fund will be delayed until 2022”.