A mission that IS possible... to make Cork a greener city

It’s not often that Tom Cruise and Cork City Council are mentioned in the same sentence, but as Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning lands in cinemas, promising “end of the world” narratives and nerve-shattering stunts, Cork has launched its own real world high-stakes mission: to cut one million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030. Cue dramatic music.

Cork recently received the EU Commission’s ‘Mission Label’ which recognises the city as one of 100 European cities leading the charge to a sustainable carbon neutral future. It’s an undertaking not for the faint-hearted. But it’s not entirely an impossible mission.

I haven’t seen the latest movie yet - but I’m guessing Tom Cruise saves the day as per his predictable plotlines.

It’s comforting in movies when the good and bad guys are easily differentiated, and the doomsday scenario is avoided by the heroics of just one man (and his motley crew of tech wizards).

Unfortunately, in real life, averting the worst of the climate crisis cannot be achieved by one singular effort, one magic bullet, or one climate leader. Disappointingly, for those of us raised on Hollywood blockbusters, climate action requires everyone to row in, and avert the worst of global heating.

None of us can spectate from the sidelines mindlessly eating popcorn, hoping someone else will do the hard work.

However, there is a happy ending in the offing. An ending where Cork aces the task, builds an unpolluted city where we can get about with ease, live in warm and cosy houses and enjoy a pleasant, vibrant city on par with other major European cities.

I’m imagining this future Cork a bit like the idyllic start of The Truman Show movie except with everyone high-fiving as they pass each other on bikes!

Unlike The Truman Show, this version of Cork is not a dark, fake manipulation by TV hacks based on the captivity of a single man, but instead the culmination of years of effort by households, politicians, businesses, academia, civil society organisations, hospitals, fire stations, etc.

Corkonians, this is your mission, should you choose to accept…

No need to hang from a plane, sprint across a runaway train leaving Kent Station, or scale the outside of the County Hall untethered. Just live life a little differently - leave the car at home more often, retrofit your home, say goodbye to the oil boiler. Buy less stuff. Sustained steps to move away from oil, gas, coal, petrol, and diesel.

No stunts required. Nothing that would make insurance underwriters nervous.

At the Mission Label launch, David Joyce, head of Emergency Management and Climate Action at Cork City Council, said: “If we approach the challenge with goodwill, energy, and enthusiasm, and pull on the Cork jersey as we work together, then we really can turn Cork into the best, most resilient city to live, work, and do business in for the long term.”

Who doesn’t want that!

We have a plan

Cork City Council has a Climate Action Plan to help realise this ideal. You can read it online or in your local library.

It details 129 actions across transport, energy, housing, the natural environment, and community engagement.

The major challenge will be turning this plan into tangible action. Ireland has a habit of writing beautiful strategies and then letting them sit quietly in a drawer.

Translating policy into action has always been the missing piece.

And this is where you, proud Corkonians, come in - to turn plans into progress, whether in your home, workplace, sports club, or school. Cutting fossil fuels out of our lives is everyone’s new side hobby. For some, it’s their full-time job.

Real change will come from real relationships-neighbour to neighbour, street to street. People follow people, not PDFs.

Social media posts won’t reach people who don’t already have climate action on their radar. Press releases won’t win hearts.

The good news? Cork people love talking. So, talk. Talk to your friends, your parents, your work colleagues, your kids about what you’re doing to help the planet: insulating your attic, walking to work, shopping local.

Change doesn’t begin and end with the Council -i t begins with us all.

Not a hope?

Aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030 is the municipal equivalent of launching Tom Cruise into space from Cork Airport.

You’d be forgiven for saying “not a hope” when you hear we’re expected to cut a million tonnes of carbon in just five years. But it’s not unprecedented.

Other major cities like Grenoble, Paris and Växjö in Sweden. known as ‘Europe’s greenest city’. have dramatically cut emissions while improving quality of life for growing populations. They show it can be done, with leadership and buy-in.

True, they often had longer timelines - but the direction of travel is the same.

What’s the risk of not changing?

Public surveys in Cork show broad support for climate action, but we’ve also seen opposition to the very changes needed - BusConnects, bike lanes, denser housing.

What’s the risk of not making these changes?

Without major improvements to transport and heating, we will continue to live in a growing city with more and more people, worse and worse traffic, and deteriorating air quality.

Or we roll up our sleeves and get on with it - cutting emissions, improving transport, building warmer homes, creating green jobs, and breathing cleaner air.

That’s the Cork I want to live in.

The task is daunting. but as the late Nelson Mandela once said: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”