EU NetZeroCities

Galway City participated in the EU NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme, testing innovative approaches to reducing carbon emissions. The pilot project focused on improving energy efficiency in buildings and aimed to address the barriers to retrofitting homes.

Key aspects of the project included:

• Community engagement: Galway Energy Co-operative led the establishment and operation of a community one-stop-shop, the Warm Home Hub, which provided information and guidance to households on their retrofitting journey.
• Ongoing support: Since the project concluded in May 2025, additional funding from the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, along with Galway City Council, has extended the initiative through at least December 2025.
• Research and training: The project also involved research into retrofitting skills and the delivery of training courses for contractors, alongside the development of strategies to address gaps in service provision and uptake.
• Governance: A multi-agency steering group was formed to tackle the challenges households face in retrofitting, at local, regional, and national levels.
• Knowledge exchange: Galway shared its experience with other European cities through twinning and learning arrangements. Galway was twinned with Belfast as part of this initiative.

The project officially began in June 2023.
Partners included Galway City Council, Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Galway, University of Galway, and the Northern and Western Regional Assembly.

for more information see article.