Claremorris man recognised with prestigious environmental honour

Claremorris man Luke Gibbons has been selected by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) as one of the Top 30 Under 30 Environmental Educators in the World. 

The much anticipated announcement was made in Washington DC yesterday, with the award regarded as one of the most prestigious environmental education accolades across the globe. 

Mr Gibbons was selected from 234 nominations and is the only person from not only Ireland, but the European Union to be selected and will now join a growing class of young leaders using environmental education to build sustainable communities around the world.

_{The official poster of Mr Gibbons' achievement}

The 27-year-old was chosen on the back of a stellar record of promoting environmental education and research. 

Mr Gibbons will travel to New York City and represent Ireland at the Global Peace Summit with a mandate in December 2024.

At the summit, he will discuss Ireland’s potential role to influence the politics of climate change. 

He will also represent Ireland as part of the HISA Impact Cruise in Italy, Spain and France this September in a bid to encourage youth implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Speaking on his award, Mr Gibbons said: “While I am lucky to have had a number of achievements in my career thus far, this one feels particularly special as it acknowledges the positive contribution I am trying to make to future and current generations' knowledge of the urgency to address the climate crisis.

“I don’t do the research to win awards, but it is nice to feel like the work is being recognised as worthwhile,” he added.

Mr Gibbons has an array of impressive accolades including being an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Scholar and PhD Candidate at Trinity College Dublin, and a former Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Researcher at Harvard Law School, where his award-winning research focuses on company directors’ duties and climate change risks. 

_{Mr Gibbons has incredible achievements in his field}

In February 2024, Mr Gibbons’s research was recognised across the Atlantic when he was named in the Top 40 Under 40 Irish in America, winning the People’s Choice Award with an incredible 21,496 votes. 

Additionally, Mr Gibbons was appointed by Former US Vice President Al Gore as a Climate Reality Leader, as well as being a President Mary Robinson Climate Leader and an appointee to the European Energy Forum. 

Furthermore, Mr Gibbons worked as a Congressional Legislative Fellow in the office of US Congressman Matt Cartwright on Capitol Hill as part of the Washington Ireland Program, assisting with bipartisan legislation to monitor toxic mercury pollution and the UNLEADED Act. 

His engagement with influential individuals, such as discussing his research with former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Chelsea Clinton at Harvard, highlights the broader impact of his work. Through these efforts, he is assisting to advance environmental education and policy on both national and international levels.

The 30 awardees in this year’s EE 30 Under 30 Class of 2024 range in age from 21 to 30, hail from 19 countries, and work with a wide range of audiences to tackle complex environmental and social issues in their communities. 

Their collective work is reaching more than 300,000 people each year, many of whom are on the frontlines of climate crises.

Since 2016, NAAEE's EE 30 Under 30 program has recognised 271 individuals from 53 countries who are making a difference through environmental education. 

Learn more about all of this year’s winners by reading their biographies on the NAAEE website.