Meath facing its climate fears, but data centres omitted from Climate Action Plan
Meath appears to have gone above and beyond for its Climate Action Plan, with nine decarbonising zones in which it plans to drive down harmful climate pollution, but its overall plan to cut emissions makes no mention of data centres or cement factories.
According to the council’s baseline emissions inventory, the county pumped out emissions equal to 66pc of the total emissions of Dublin’s four local authority areas in 2018, despite having just 15pc of the population.
Meath was responsible for 6.31pc of the State’s total emissions in 2018, the year against which its reduction targets will be measured.
Those emissions pose a growing risk for the people of Meath.
According to council analysis, while coastal towns like Laytown and Bettystown are increasingly exposed to the impacts of severe winds and rising seas, all of Meath can expect more severe windstorms, and damage to buildings, roads, powerlines and communications systems.
Inland areas will also become more prone to flooding from small intertwining rivers like the Inny, Delvin and Broadmeadow, as well as bigger ones like the Boyne, which flows through a number of large urban centres.
How your county is weighing in on fighting climate change
According to Meath County Council’s Climate Action Plan, the county’s biggest polluters are industrial processes (29pc), agriculture (25pc) and manufacturing and commercial (13pc).
Councils have the power to limit emissions when companies apply for planning permission, but planning lawyer Fred Logue says there is still a lot of confusion around the “statutory consequences of a local authority Climate Action Plan”.
“When you’re making a planning decision, you have to take into account the [national] Climate Action Plan and be consistent with Section 15 [of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act],” Mr Logue said.
Section 15 mandates that public bodies must carry out their functions in a way that is consistent with the latest Climate Action Plan, national adaptation framework and sectoral plan, and that mitigates climate change.
We don't really have a framework for ensuring consistency ... so the whole thing is a complete mess
“But if the [council] development plan is misaligned with that, and the local authority Climate Action Plan is misaligned, then what happens?” Mr Logue asked.
“We don't really have a framework for ensuring consistency, other than individual litigation, so the whole thing is a complete mess.”
And nowhere is that more clear than in Meath, where a campus of Meta data centres was approved before the action plan was finished and an Amazon data centre was approved mid-negotiations.
Meta, which built one of the world’s biggest data centres in Clonee, has said it offsets the emissions created by taking electricity from Ireland’s grid through renewables elsewhere.
But according to Environmental Protection Agency papers, the site still has 90 back-up diesel generators and uses 2.5 million gallons of water a day – equal to the amount used by Athlone’s population of 21,000.
Meta also operates a community grants scheme, which Meath County Council promoted on its social media sites. According to the global tech firm, it has awarded 104 grants totalling €1.3m since 2019.
The council itself was a recipient last year for a pilot programme “to develop understanding about telecommunications and connectivity”.
Meath County Council did not respond to our request for an interview about why data centres or cement factories were omitted from their climate action plan.
Since the horse has already bolted from the stable on some of the county’s big industrial emitters, the council is pinning its emissions reduction hopes on encouraging change by setting an example for local climate action.
The county’s annual Samhain celebration, The Púca Festival, has been hailed as one example of how culture can meet sustainability.
Last year, the festival was said to have cut emissions by 90pc by swapping diesel for hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) to generate light and power.
It was EarthCheck-certified for last year and, in 2024, met a zero-waste-to-landfill target.
Shuttle services and a new bus route encouraged people to leave cars at home, vendors were encouraged to source sustainably and manage waste well, and a partnership with Meath Camogie on a bottle-return scheme raised €3,000 for the club.
Trim became the first town to adopt a Circular Economy Action Plan last May
The Spirit of Sustainability Hub, created in partnership with Meath County Council, also returned to the festival, offering talks, workshops and educational displays.
The council has also rolled out broader climate initiatives. Trim became the first town to adopt a Circular Economy Action Plan last May, which includes a deposit return scheme for coffee cups.
Council climate change co-ordinator Mary D’Arcy said: “From what I’m seeing, this initiative is being positively received. Businesses are enjoying it as well, as they are seeing increased customers as a result of it.”
Meath County Council has nine decarbonising zones: Navan, Ashbourne, Ratoath, Dunboyne, Trim, Duleek, Kells, Laytown-Bettystown and Dunshaughlin. Between them, the towns account for 19pc of Meath’s total emissions.
Community engagement has been key, especially in Navan, where – as part of a European exchange and learning programme – an Urbact group made up of residents and councillors explores projects beyond those in the council’s plan.
“It has been hugely successful,” Ms D’Arcy said. “We share knowledge, challenges, and test what would work. One of the actions that was tested was Grow Your Own Food, which encourages people to avoid food waste, compost what they can and grow food from that compost.”
Education on retrofitting has also become a cornerstone of Meath’s climate strategy, with the council hosting public clinics to help homeowners understand how to make their properties more energy-efficient.
Meanwhile, efforts to protect natural resources continue to grow. In towns like Navan and Trim, river water is now used instead of treated tap water to water plants, and many Tidy Towns volunteers have installed water butts to collect rainwater for gardening.
Grassroots campaigns like EcoChic are also helping people make material changes to address textile waste by promoting second-hand shopping, mending, upcycling and clothing swaps.
Support for community-led climate action has been widespread. In 2024, 25 Meath groups shared €811,000 in funding for projects ranging from solar panel installations and LED lighting to community gardens and composting systems.
“It’s the small steps we take that can add up to a big impact,” Ms D’Arcy added. “There are so many messages going out about climate change and sustainability that we’ve confused the messaging. It needs to be simplified so that anybody can get on board.
“We can all make low-cost actions to help our county. We are all in this together.”