Mary Robinson officially opens Ballina climate conference

THE sold out ground-breaking Mary Robinson Climate Conference in Ballina continues today which was officially opened by the former President of Ireland this morning.

The Mary Robinson Climate Conference is part of the Ballina 2023 programme of events and takes place from Wednesday, July 5 to Friday, July 7. The packed sold out programme will bring together voices from all sectors of society and academia to share their climate experiences, and to discuss pathways for a sustainable future by further empowering communities under the theme 'Communities Creating Change'.

Former President of Ireland and Chair of The Elders, Mary Robinson officially opened the conference this morning in the Ballina Arts Centre with speakers also including Oisin Coghlan, CEO of Friends of the Earth, Indian Ambassador to Ireland, Akhilesh Mishra and Manuael Salazar of Extinction Rebellion.

On the opening day of the conference on Wednesday, a gathering of young people met with Mary Robinson, US Ambassador Claire Cronin and French Ambassador Vincent Guérend, facilitated by University of Galway President, Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh to discuss youth leadership for sustainability from a global and local perspective.

On Friday, the conference will be addressed by Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan in the Ballina Arts Centre.

Over the three days, delegates will also enjoy topical sessions, a bike buffett led by Ballina Chamber of Commerce, a climate-focused art exhibition in Ballina Civic Offices ‘What we Stand to Lose’, and a series of field trips showcasing local climate action projects including the Enniscrone Dunes project, Oweninny Wind Farm, the Ox Mountains and the Ripple Ballina project, which explored how a community in Ballina transformed green space with the use of rainwater.

Susan Heffernan, Project Manager at The Mary Robinson Centre said: “This conference is a really important event for Ballina and The Mary Robinson Centre, gathering communities, activists, researchers and industry together to meet, engage and connect. This is a key step in creating a dynamic for community climate action and we’re excited to create this opportunity for Irish communities.”

Ballina 2023 Director and CEO of Moy Valley Resources IRD Annette Maughan said: “It is a huge privilege to host an event of this significance in Ballina as part of the Ballina 2023 programme of events, and we in Moy Valley Resources IRD, a community development organisation are also proud to support an event that highlights the power of communities to lead out on climate action.”

Leaders in the climate action space, conference partners Mayo County Council were the first Local Authority in the country to employ a Climate Action Officer and are the lead authority and host for the Climate Action Regional Office (CARO) for the Atlantic Seaboard North.

Mayo County Council Climate Action Officer Laura Dixon said: “Mayo County Council is delighted to be partnering on this important event, continuing the important work of Mary Robinson in relation to climate action and climate justice, and raising awareness of the importance of climate action at a local level.

“In 2022, Mayo County Council was named as the winner of the first Climate Change Award in the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards for the Mayo Decarbonising Communities Network Project and we look forward to continuing our work in this area,” she said.

The conference is also sponsored by Eirgrid Group, who operate and develop the electricity system in Ireland, and EirGrid CEO, Mark Foley said they understand the importance of collaboration in achieving their climate ambitions.

“The transition to a cleaner energy future will affect everyone in Ireland and will be truly transformative, for society and for our economy. It is critical for the whole of society, communities, local authorities and state bodies to work together to create this change. We must listen to all voices, and the Mary Robinson Climate Conference is an important forum for this,” he said.