Mayo native recognised in the Top 30 under 30 environmental educators in the world

The North American Association for Environmental Education announces its new class of 30 passionate leaders under the age of thirty and representing 19 countries.

Luke Gibbons, 27, from Claremorris, 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 2024. This award is regarded as one of the most prestigious environmental education accolades across the globe. The much anticipated announcement was made in Washington D.C. on Wednesday August 14.

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.

Luke was selected out of a field of 234 nominations and is the only person selected from Ireland and in fact the only awardee from the European Union. Luke will join a growing class of young leaders using environmental education to build more just and sustainable communities around the world.

Gibbons was selected for this world class honour on the back of a stellar record of promoting environmental education and research. Luke is 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. His award winning research focuses on company directors’ duties and climate change risks.

In February 2024, Luke’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. Gibbons is also a Climate Reality Leader appointed by former US Vice President Al Gore, a President Mary Robinson Climate Leader and an appointee to the European Energy Forum.

Luke was also recognised as Irish Law Student of the Year 2022 and as the JCI Most Outstanding Young Person Under 40 In Ireland for Academic Leadership and Achievement 2021.

In December 2024, Luke will travel to New York City and represent Ireland at the Global Peace Summit with a mandate to 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.

Luke’s research has led to several publications, including "The Cancer of Climate Change Law" and "Striking the ‘Right Balance’ Between Credibility, Effectiveness, and Political Feasibility when Designing Multilateral Environmental Agreements.”

He has also presented at prestigious conferences such as the Irish Centre for European Law and Environmental Protection Agency Conference at Dublin Castle and the Mary Robinson Climate Conference 2024.

Furthermore, Luke worked as a Congressional Legislative Fellow in the office of U.S. 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 U.S. 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.

Gibbons also holds a First- Class Law Degree with a Gold Medal from Trinity College Dublin and a BCL Masters in Law with Distinction from the University of Oxford where he graduated as the Honoré Scholar in Law.

Now as a Company Law Seminar Lecturer at Trinity College Dublin and Former Lecturer at Maynooth University, he teaches with an emphasis on sustainability, shaping the perspectives of future legal professionals.

Speaking on his award Luke 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."