Thursday, October 17: Students from five primary schools and one secondary school gathered in the stunning Visitor Centre of Wild Nephin Ballycroy National Park as part of Green-Schools’ Climate Action Week, the third annual weeklong celebration of climate solutions in schools across Ireland.

Climate Action Week is all about encouraging students, teachers and the wider community to have climate conversations and get involved in local climate action, whether that be reducing their carbon footprint through improved transport, energy, waste or water choices, planting for biodiversity or raising awareness of how climate change is impacting Ireland.

Student Hope

Using the World Café methodology and design thinking principles, students developed their climate hopes which included every Green-School switching to renewable energy providers in the short term and producing their own renewable energy community hubs with wind, solar and hydropower as a longer-term goal. Incentives for sustainable transport to school included free GAA tickets and no homework to enable lighter bags and encourage more walking and cycling. Students explored zero waste ideas and old traditions such as returning to quills to stop using plastic. Perhaps the most nostalgic of all was in relation to protecting Mayo’s peatlands in a ‘bogland bake-off’ and the slogan ‘love our bogs like you love your grandparents’.

Become a Climate Ambassador

Climate Action Week also marks the launch of applications to become a Climate Ambassador. From today you can apply as a secondary student, third level student or community member over 18 and join a network of people who are demonstrating true climate action on the ground across Ireland. More details can be found at www.climateambassador.ie