| What We Do | Cork Environmental Forum (CEF) came into being in 1995, supported by Cork County Council as an instrument for applying the principles of Local Agenda 21 (now Agenda 2030), otherwise known as the Sustainable Development Goals. CEF stimulates environmental awareness and promotes individual and collective action among sectoral interests and individuals in Cork. CEF has been active in this role for over 20 years and through its many connections, networks, partnerships and links performs an important function in highlighting and progressing environmental care and protection, and supporting the transition to a lower-carbon, more sustainable region. Raising awareness, providing information and creating opportunities to engage in activities that support the achievement of the current Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is a key feature of our work and is particularly relevant in the delivery of programmes under the Global Action Plan. We deliver this through 3 main strategic goals: 1. Raising awareness regarding the environment 2. Facilitating action and behaviour change 3. Bringing an environmental perspective to policy |
| Location | Mount Carmel, Kilcolman, Enniskeane, Co. Cork, Ireland |
| Member Since | 1995 |
| Audiences/Sector | Youth/Community |
| Member Type | Member organisation |
| Our Mission | To foster, promote and implement sustainable development at a local level in the Cork region, working for a better environment for all. |
| Areas of Work | Project activities and actions are carried our across a broad range of areas with a particular focus on Transport, Waste, Water, Energy, Biodiversity, Consumption and Food. CEF reflects these topics and highlights the vital role of behavioural change through the shared knowledge and peer-learning in our Global Action Plan Programme which has been expanded to include a tailored programme for B&B and Guesthouses (GAP for Guesthouses) and a GAP Greener Workplace programme. Threaded through all of these focus areas is reference to adaptation and mitigation of climate change and steps in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The organisation responds to relevant consultations at local, regional and national level which is a vital avenue to influence change and contribute to policies that support sustainability. |
| Success Stories | CEF has had many successes over the years as it partners with the community in many ways, initially through its own structure and representation (at both membership and executive level) of the four pillars of society – Business & Commercial, Public Sector, Community & Voluntary and Individuals. This structure lends to collaboration and a way of working in partnership with all stakeholders from the local authorities of Cork City and County, to state bodies (e.g. SWRO, EPA, HSE / ETB, National Water Forum), industry, traders, farming interests, fisheries, forestry, teachers, academic institutions, local development agencies (e.g. IRD Duhallow/SECAD), community groups, professional environmentalists and other voluntary organisations, especially those with similar aims (e.g. Coastwatch, Cork Nature Network) as well as individuals with an interest in environmental care. CEF members are directly engaged and active within their own localities and are a vital part of the organisation as active membership is sought and encouraged. CEF is a key partner, and in some cases an initiator, of collaborations which respond to particular aspects of sustainability these include EcCoWell, the Transport and Mobility Forum and the Cork Food Policy Council. More recently CEF supported the establishment of the Cork Climate Action group and the Cork Sky Friendly Campaign. CEF has been very active in the Growing Lifelong Learning in Cork which was successful in hosting the 3rd UNESCO International Conference in 2017. A more recent collaboration is through the Green Spaces for Health project which is being piloted in the South Parish neighbourhood but which has replicability elsewhere. CEF is often the first point of contact for individuals and communities challenged by plans negatively impacting the environment or people wishing to highlight their rich environment, e.g. Heir Island group/ Baltimore Tidy Towns. CEF provides a platform for balanced objective and expert information and for supporting protection of the environment. |
| Collaboration Opportunities | There are many collaborative opportunities CEF can provide due to the diverse themes of our work and the focus on awareness, learning and education. |
| Project Highlights | - Woodland Project - Mobility Initiatives e.g. Rebel Pedal and Mix Your Mode - Citizen Science through Coastwatch - Annual Environmental Awards - Boomerang Enterprises - Refill Ireland - Week on Waste - Reuse Month - Urban October - EcCoWell |
| Visit | English version: http://www.cef.ie/ |
| Connect | Facebook: Cork Environmental Forum Twitter: @CorkEnvForum |
| Contact | [email protected] +353 (0)83 1468064 |