Council organising climate change conversations
A series of events have been organised by Cork County council to open up conversations about climate change.
It’s a way for Cork County Council to mark the European Sustainable Development Goals Week. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals to transform our world, adopted by all 193 members of the United Nations. Their overall objective is to create a better world, and a better life for all, by 2030. The goals have a strong focus on the environment throughout.
The main event of Cork County Council’s promotion of the SDGs is the webinar and podcast Let’s Talk About Climate Change which is in collaboration with the School of Applied Psychology and the Institute for the Social Sciences in the 21st century in UCC.
The webinar will appeal to all age groups and give useful tips and insights on having conversations about climate change.
The 45 minute episode features American psychologist and expert climate communicator Professor Mick Smyer, Liz Downes from Cork County Older Persons Council, Cork students Alannah Wrynne and Darragh Walsh along with representatives from Cork County Council. The webinar and podcast is available on the Council’s YouTube channel and Soundcloud page.
Additional events include a series of masterclasses being run by the Local Enterprise Offices and UCC to help small and micro enterprises understand environmental sustainability. The workshops get underway on Tuesday 18 October.
Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Danny Collins said: “We love to talk in Ireland, but the issue of climate change is one that many of us tend to avoid. However, we cannot avoid it any longer and we need to engage with people of all ages. We know that the crisis is causing children and young people to worry which is why I’m delighted to see student Alannah Wrynne joining Prof. Smyer on the webinar and podcast.
“Eco-anxiety is one of the topics that is up for discussion and I hope that viewers will find it helpful. The webinar will also be made available to schools across the county.”
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey added: “The SDGs are the blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. The 17 goals tie in with the council’s work across all departments. We are about to embark on developing a Climate Action Plan for Cork County.
“We have started the baseline emissions study and we really need the input from Cork residents and communities to develop a meaningful plan that we all will own and deliver together. We will be hosting public consultations and events over the next year and look forward to strong engagement.”