Published on: June 26, 2025
South East Energy Agency proudly presented the Community Energy Hub project at the national Community Climate Action Programme (CCAP) Strand 2 Research Launch and Project Showcase, held at the Alex Hotel, Dublin on Tuesday 24th June 2025.
The event, hosted by Pobal in partnership with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), marked the culmination of Strand 2 of the CCAP programme, which focused on climate education, capacity building, and learning by doing. Its core aim was to introduce and promote a wide range of learning outputs—toolkits, guidance, accredited training and innovative pilot approaches—developed by the 19 funded projects to help communities take meaningful action on climate change.
Pictured: Ailís Feehan, Events & Marketing Officer, SEEA & Gráinne Kennedy, Climate Action Coordinator, Waterford City & County Council
Representing South East Energy Agency at the event were Michael Deen, Communications Officer & Project Officer for the Community Energy Hub, and Ailis Feehan, Events & Marketing Officer. As part of the interactive showcase, the team shared the development journey of the Community Energy Hub—created in collaboration with our local stakeholders (library users & staff, Local Authority Climate Action Teams & Sustainable Energy Community groups)—as an example of effective co-designed climate action at the community level.
“This was a fantastic opportunity to share our experience—from initial concept to delivery—with a wide range of stakeholders,” said Michael Deen. “We’re proud to demonstrate how local collaboration can create real impact.”
The energy-themed showcase featured a number of innovative projects including:
-
The Community Energy Hub (South East Energy Agency),
-
The Community Home Energy Retrofit Information Service (The Wheel),
-
The Energy Saving Champion Programme (EcoVision),
-
And Retrofit Ready (Local Development Companies Network).
Michael Deen, Communications Officer & Project Officer for the Community Energy Hub
Speakers at the event included research author Rachel Mulqueen, who launched her new report “Understanding how inclusive community-based climate action can be scaled up”. Following a panel discussion hosted by Anna Shakespeare, CEO of Pobal, featuring Professor Jennie Stephens, Ali Sheridan, Seán McCabe, and Aoife Hammond, discussed the challenges and opportunities projects addressing Climate Action are facing and the need for greater support and funding to deliver impactful community projects in Ireland.
The Community Energy Hub, along with other initiatives presented at the event, offers a pathway for communities to act on climate change in accessible, practical and impactful ways. For South East Energy Agency, the showcase was both a celebration of progress and a call for continued collaboration and investment in community-led climate solutions.
