When a technological university, an energy agency and a county council meet to support Climate Leaders

Dr Darren Barry, Senior Project Officer in Climate Adaptation from the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands and Midwest talks about climate leadership.

REMARKABLE focuses on climate leadership. How would you define a climate leader?

Firstly, a climate leader is knowledgeable: So they can help people understand and tackle the growing needs of climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Secondly, they are strategic: So they can meet the ongoing planning, monitoring, analysis and assessment of all of the needs of a municipality to meet its climate action goals and objectives.

Thirdly, climate leaders are communicators: Being able to impart the importance of the changes required in easy and digestible chunks to the public.

Why does Tipperary county in Ireland need climate leaders?

These leaders will help bring elected officials, communities and regional authorities on the pathway to achieving our energy targets by driving the climate action targets in all areas of the municipalities.

Climate action shouldn’t exist in a silo but rather be part of all local actions and these leaders will help achieve this integration.

Darren Barry on a climate leadership

They will seek out new opportunities to not only achieve the targets but drive real sustainable change in a local capacity.

What does climate leadership look like in practice in Tipperary county?

Technological University of the Shannon, Tipperary energy agency and Tipperary county council have had a long and active relationship when it comes to the development of regional and national activities in the area of climate change.

The development of Sustainable Tipp which is a collaboration of public, private and voluntary organisations working to achieve a sustainable and low-carbon future for County Tipperary has been a real leader in this area.

How does Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest help a climate leader achieve its goals?

The Development Unit at TUS is dedicated to implementing our vision of supporting Climate Leaders to achieve social, economic and environmental changes through applying their expertise in a collaborative manner.

We pride ourselves on working with people to solve real problems and challenges with our focus on sustainable energy, climate action and social enterprise our climate leaders know they can depend on us.

Darren Barry

Regional Energy Agencies will support leaders of public authorities and communities in implementing transformational roadmaps and innovative solutions to achieve climate neutrality in the framework of the REMARKABLE project. Why do you think REMARKABLE Climate Leaders is what your local leaders and communities need?

As we often say, climate change knows no boundaries and so our responses should know no boundaries either. Remarkable will allow our local leaders to identify capitalised work that is ongoing at an EU level and how to incorporate that into their own areas through the development of the REMARKABLE roadmaps and the climate leaders circle which will bring knowledge and experience to all leaders.