Mayo conference a celebration of community climate action and nature

THE second Mary Robinson Climate Conference took place in Ballina last week, renamed the Mary Robinson Climate and Nature Conference this year to emphasise the importance of a collective response to the global challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Over three days, a range of speakers from across the globe engaged with community actors, academics, policymakers and industry, in a collective conversation to reinforce everyone’s shared responsibility in addressing these issues.

Events kicked off with an insightful in-conversation talk on Project Dandelion, a woman-led global campaign for climate justice spearheaded by Mary Robinson.

Introducing Project Dandelion, Mrs. Robinson said: “It is very clear that we need a symbol that is nature, to ground our selves in nature. We (at Project Dandelion) want to engage two billion people by 2030 - engage those people in knowing their power and using it to create this wonderful world we've been talking about (at this conference).”

The conference included a series of community engagements, including a visit by Mrs. Robinson to Lisaniska National School to learn more about ‘Our Changing Land’, a school biodiversity project undertaken in partnership with the Mary Robinson Centre and a meitheal at the centre’s new urban farm.

The centre’s Tiktok Youth Climate Leaders Alliance members, together with community volunteers, planted beds of fruit, vegetables and companion plants that will provide visitors to the centre with fresh produce as summer progresses.

The conference is developed in partnership with the University of Galway and supported by SSE Renewables, IPB Insurance, EPA, Fáilte Ireland, Astraea and Mayo County Council. The organisers would like to thank all local volunteers, community groups and businesses who made visiting delegates feel exceptionally welcome in Ballina during their visit.