Cork Environmental Forum | Promoting Sustainable Development in County Cork

Who are We?

An Introduction to Cork Environmental Forum............

Cork Environmental Forum is a cross sectoral, umbrella organisation of approximately 650 organisations groups and individuals mostly from the Cork region. It is an independent limited company.

In formally launching the Cork Environmental Forum in June 2000, Cathaoirleach Tomas Ryan of Cork County Council stated that the environment is of vital importance to all life and that it is up to all of us to be responsible for its conservation. He recognised that in the need to balance environmental concerns with economic activities there can be conflict and that CEF will provide opportunities for dialogue with all stake holders including farming organisations, fisheries interests, environmental groups to engage in discussions. He gave great credit to Noel Dillon whose brain child was the establishment of CEF now a fully independent organisation in its own right.

Professor Emer Colleran chaired the first meeting of CEF in 1995. Noel Dillon as County Manager had invited a wide spread of organisations and businesses from around the county to be represented on a group he was attempting to draw together under local Agenda 21. The backdrop was the rise of the Celtic Tiger encouraging an avalanche of planning development, extensive pressure to develop previously undeveloped land against loud outcries from environmental pressure groups, environmental concerns about Cork Harbour industries, a rise in tourism, pollution and litter and new legal requirements to implement environmental policies including renewable energy requirements and substantial changes in waste management policy and planning. A climate too often fuelled by contention between the different interests, with the local authority caught in the middle. Noel Dillon was hoping to use the need to implement LA21 as a tool to change the tone and get the different sides talking, airing their differences and come to some mutual understanding before planning decisions fuelled yet more argument.

In Rio de Janeiro in 1992, Local Agenda 21 was enshrined as the way forward to care for the environment. It acknowledged that responsible, long term care for the environment takes place at the most local level and that people and communities must be supported at all levels through political, legal and economic instruments to do this. This 'agenda for the 21st century' recognised that socio-economic factors cannot be ignored in environmental protection and care, and that all sectors must work together responsibly towards the goal of a sustainable planet. Sustainable development was termed to provide for equity for developing nations who in providing better standards of living for their people would not make the mistakes of the Western world but instead would follow the newly agreed principles of sustainability in their development.

Rio is a long way from Cork, but the basic needs and aspirations of people throughout the world differ little. Globalisation has sped along in the wake of such global conferences with the international community attempting to deal with major issues such as population, habitats and trade on a global basis while the information highway can create an impression of security, openness and sustainability. But no tool such as information can be of any use in empowering people if not used in active dialogue with the decision makers. Complacency can creep in when the language of the environmentalist is taken on by the politician or developer giving an illusion of ‘ecofriendly’. Sustaining real, challenging debate is essential for progress in environmental care. The continuous downward trend in environmental quality both in Ireland and around the world, despite the many laws and policies designed to protect, demonstrate the inadequacy to date of knowledge, understanding, care and progress for the environment at all levels.

Discussion and debate are the central activity of CEF, providing a Forum for dialogue in the Roman sense of the word. Meetings take place about every six weeks mostly in the City with agendas covering the breadth of environmental issues. An open door policy welcomes any group or individual with an interest to participate in the meetings which provide for both workshop and plenary sessions. Networking has become a key feature of CEF and a proactive approach has attracted the interest of a large number local community groups, businesses, major industries, environmental groups, local and national politicians, and many local authority personnel throughout the county and city. Over 650 organisations, groups and individuals comprise the members and Associates of CEF.

Over almost 8 years of meetings, regular participants of the Forum have become familiar faces to each other and the mutual trust and understanding of each others needs and position on issue has developed strong bonds for Cork. Many people and groups who wouldn’t generally attend the same meetings or discuss environmental issues together openly exchange quite diverse opinions yet have clearly sought the point of agreement on a wide range of issues. In 1999 the Forum agreed its objective and 5 clear goals (see menu)

As the Forum matures so its participants more freely express their hopes and aspirations and some wish to be part of something more active. In 1999 the Landscape of Cork Report was produced as a result of almost 3 years of workshop activity. Widely distributed to over 200 key decision makers, this interesting and provocative document was included as part of the documentation submitted to influence the new plans and strategies as they are being being developed for Cork City & County County Development Plan. A series of position papers has similarly been produced by consensus, and provide documented position statements on 14 key environmental issues. More position papers are currently in the process of development as part of this year’s programme, some of those agreed in 2001 are being reviewed to include targets and goals. These position papers are distributed to all key players where the Forum wishes the cross-sectoral views it represents and the environmental targets it wishes to see achieved, to have influence on policy, planning and decisions made on behalf of Cork.

The Millennium launch propelled the Forum clearly into public view. Active engagement in consultation with communities, their representatives and interest groups has developed considerably since the early days of the Forum. The principles of LA21 and sustainability frequent the introductory sentences of many a public document and new laws and policies. The Forum has been fortunate in being actively engaged in quite a few public consultation exercises, particularly over the past couple of years, the proof of how much influence the group can wield will be demonstrated in the final policies and plans such as the County Development Plan, the Port of Cork expansion, Cork City LA 21 plans, the National Environmental Awareness Campaign to name a few and whether the environmental targets now being set by the Forum will be met.

CEF is very active with community groups. Community Tree Planting and the annual Action on Waste draws together volunteers from all over the county. School students, local residents, activists, elected reps etc. etc. all come together to plant trees, enjoy a nature ramble, run information stalls in supermarkets and hand out information to shoppers. Some have just an hour to spare, other make a day of it. The new Community fora meetings being organised by CEF will offer greater opportunities for local people to discuss local needs and find ways of being their plans to fruition.

This website carries further information about CEF meetings, events and copies of the position papers.

“We need not only a better view of man and nature, but a working method by which the least of us can ensure that the product of his works is not more despoliation”
Ian L. McHarg
‘Design with Nature’ (1971)