At our inaugural youth conference, 400 attendees were empowered to take charge and drive change for our planet. Codling Wind Park, Coláiste Chraobh Abhann, and the organising committee extend heartfelt gratitude to all who participated, contributing to an inspiring and empowering event for Wicklow’s youth.
Guided by our hosts Colm O’Regan and Coláiste Chraobh Abhann’s Head Boy, Cayden Elliott, the packed room was led through an invigorating conference experience. Our Climate, Our Future’ is a meeting of young people taking meaningful action against climate change to become lifelong advocates for a sustainable future.
Environmental Campaigner John Gibbons issued a stark warning: Without action against global warming, a fifth of the earth's surface—home to three billion people—may become uninhabitable by 2070. It's imperative for the current generation to confront this challenge head-on.
Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, shared exciting career opportunities in the renewable energy sector, urging students to consider them. Deploying technologies like wind and solar stands as humanity's best solution to the climate emergency.
Eimear Manning, Youth & Climate Justice Development Officer at the National Youth Council of Ireland, ignited passion among attendees, inspiring the next wave of climate change leaders.
When we got asked this question our initial response was ‘The World’s on fire’. But really, that answer is not enough. The challenge of global heating is so huge it needs a lot of different responses. It means big and small changes to all of our lives. It means making sure as many people as possible know why they need to make these changes and why it’s all so important. It means many different conversations that all share one goal – making sure we have a future on this planet. We hope our conference will start many conversations and actions that will bring us closer to this goal.
We have extended invitations to neighbouring schools, community groups, decision-makers and policy makers in our community, but if you would like to be involved, please contact us.
Scott Sutherland, Codling Wind Park Project Director, expressed pride in supporting the event, emphasizing the pivotal role young people play in the climate fight. He urged policymakers to heed the youth’s voices and take decisive action.
The panel discussion on climate careers shed light on working towards solutions for our planet's greatest challenges, highlighting the satisfaction such work brings The youth panel called for more guidance on individual actions and governmental initiatives. Our conference aimed to amplify the voices of young people on the climate crisis, fostering a commitment among attendees to become lifelong advocates for a sustainable future. In closing, Pat Sammon from Codling Wind Park urged the audience to engage actively, emphasizing our planet's urgent need for collective action.
I'm delighted to have hosted the Codling Wind Park 'Our Climate, Our Future' youth conference and I'm looking forward to being part of the journey supporting the youth of Wicklow to be part of the climate challenge solution.
