Community Foundation Ireland supporting new Bohs Co-op approach to deliver local climate action and community wealth building.

Dublin, 22 April 2025 – To mark Earth Day 2025, Bohemian Football Club and Community Foundation Ireland are setting a goal to deliver a new way of effective climate action in Dublin.

The Bohemian Climate Co-operative is developing an initiative to support worker ownership, community wealth building and climate actions which motivate the entire community.

Under a partnership with Community Foundation Ireland the Co-operative will examine best practice including in the Basque region where the Mondragón Corporation employs 70,000 people across 90 employee-owned co-operatives. With €11 billion in annual turnover, Mondragón demonstrates the full potential of democratic economies. A similar project in the United States, the Evergreen Cooperatives of Cleveland, Ohio will also be examined.

It is hoped a similar approach in Dublin will deliver practical solutions within a broader, cooperative ecosystem that can transform how local communities address both environmental and economic challenges.

A Locally Rooted, Globally Inspired Climate Initiative

The Bohemian Climate Co-operative is a community-led effort to deliver accessible climate solutions while creating high-quality, sustainable jobs in democratic, worker-owned enterprises. Emerging from Bohemian FC, itself a cooperative—a fan-owned club committed using football as a force for good—the Climate Co-operative aims to make climate action a driver of long-term prosperity in Dublin 7 and beyond.

By leveraging collective purchasing, shared ownership, and democratic governance, the Cooperative aims to reduce barriers to participation in the green transition, particularly for lower-income households. It will demonstrate how climate action can be a force for equality—not just emissions reduction.

Laying the Foundations for a Cooperative Dublin

This is not an isolated project. The Bohemian Climate Cooperative is intended to serve as a catalyst for a wider cooperative economy in Dublin—one that enables interconnected, democratic enterprises to thrive. The partnership recognises that such an ecosystem requires shared infrastructure: legal and financial support services, cooperative finance institutions, and anchor institutions that prioritise local, inclusive procurement.

With Dublin City Council’s recent commitment to Community Wealth Building, there is a unique opportunity to embed cooperative models into the city’s economic future. This initiative aims to translate that policy into practice—anchoring wealth in communities, linking public contracts to worker ownership, and supporting a resilient, democratic economy that serves both people and planet.

Learning from International Best Practice

Central to this partnership are two international study visits—to the Mondragón Corporation in the Basque Country and the Evergreen Cooperatives in Cleveland, Ohio—bringing together a Dublin-based delegation of future cooperative members, community leaders, and policymakers. These visits will offer hands-on insight into successful models of worker-owned, climate-aligned enterprise.

In Mondragón, delegates will explore how a network of over 90 cooperatives has created a resilient regional economy through shared services, cooperative finance, and democratic governance. In Cleveland, they will learn how Evergreen’s worker-owned businesses—rooted in contracts with hospitals and universities—have anchored wealth in low-income neighbourhoods while delivering green jobs and climate solutions. Evergreen was founded in the wake of the global financial crisis and sought to bring learnings from Mondragón to life in the United States.

These experiences will directly inform the business plan for the Bohemian Climate Cooperative, shaping its structure, ownership model, and enterprise focus. They will open the potential for the development of a wider cooperative ecosystem in Dublin—one that includes shared legal and financial services, and a Fund for Employee Ownership to support the creation of new cooperatives in sectors central to a just transition.

By learning from proven models and applying those lessons locally, this initiative aims to turn inspiration into infrastructure—building a democratic, climate-resilient economy from the ground up.

A Turning Point for Climate and Economic Justice

Seán McCabe, Head of Climate Justice and Sustainability at Bohemian FC said:

“The Bohemian Climate Cooperative is about putting power, opportunity, and ownership into the hands of communities. With the support of Community Foundation Ireland, we are ready to lay the groundwork for a democratic economy that delivers climate action and shared prosperity.”

Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland said:

“Partnership is key if we are to meet the climate challenge while also ensuring a sustainable future for our local communities. Bohemian FC as a long-standing fan owned co-op itself is best placed to be a pioneer in bringing this approach to Ireland. At the Community Foundation our donors, supporters and philanthropists pride themselves on supporting groundbreaking projects which deliver for everyone in a local community. We look forward to exciting updates ahead from the Bohemian Co-Op”.

About Bohemian Football Club

Bohemian FC is a fan-owned, community-rooted football club based at Dalymount Park, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, with a proud history dating back to 1890. Off the pitch, the club is deeply committed to tackling discrimination, climate action, and inclusive community development. The club aims to use football as a force for good.

About Community Foundation Ireland

Community Foundation Ireland is a philanthropic hub with a mission of Equality For All in Thriving Communities. It partners with 5,000 voluntary, community and charitable groups to deliver this mission. Since 2000 its donors, supporters and philanthropists have provide over €140M in grants to support this work.

Contacts

Seán McCabe: Head of Climate Justice and Sustainability, Bohemian Football Club

Tel: 0863035719 Email: sean.mccabe@bohemians.ie