Mayo village leads the way in people-centred climate action

MULRANNY is showing how communities can drive the transition to a zero-carbon future.

A new report outlining a community-led model for climate action was launched yesterday.

The People’s Transition: Mulranny, facilitated by TASC - the Think-Tank for Action on Social Change, in partnership with the community of Mulranny - presents an innovative framework where local people not only benefit from climate action but help shape it.

Mulranny, designated as a decarbonisation zone by Mayo County Council, is now a testbed for innovative, people-centred climate initiatives.

The report describes a model for participative decision-making that gives communities ownership of climate solutions while tackling inequality and enhancing public support for climate action.

The Mulranny People’s Transition project, which began in August 2024, followed a three-phase approach: mapping, community engagement, and solutions development.

During the mapping phase, researchers built a detailed picture of Mulranny, identifying groups at risk of exclusion and assessing local institutions, services and community networks. The subsequent community engagement phase involved surveys, interviews and collective workshops, including sessions with under-represented groups such as the Ukrainian community, to capture a broad cross-section of local opinion.

Through this process, the community highlighted both strengths and challenges in Mulranny, including strong social and ecological engagement, threats to natural assets, limited youth participation, housing shortages, and a lack of facilities and employment opportunities.

The final phase involved co-designing climate solutions with the community. Two key initiatives were selected:

‘Share, Care & Repair’ Programme - a local-level initiative to maintain momentum and build capacity for climate engagement.

Recognition of the wider area as a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve - a long-term vision to guide sustainable development and community-led climate action.

The report stresses that these solutions are not exhaustive but illustrate how climate investment can address existing development needs rather than perpetuate them. By prioritising inclusivity and people-centred approaches, the Mulranny People’s Transition demonstrates how local communities can drive meaningful climate action while strengthening social cohesion.

TASC would like to thank the Wilderland public art and community ecology project, funded by the Creative Climate Action Fund, an initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme, for their facilitation and guidance throughout this project.

The full report is available here.