merrion street

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten T.D. launched a Green Schools National Climate Change Action & Awareness programme as part of the National Dialogue on Climate Action. The Minister made the announcement when he participated in the Climate Hope seminar in Brigit’s Gardens, Rosscahill, Co Galway. The seminar, which is also being run under Green Schools, is aimed at increasing awareness of climate change and promoting climate actions in the school community through projects being carried out in schools in counties Galway, Clare and Mayo.
Under the National Dialogue on Climate Action, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment is working on initiating several projects to increase youth and community involvement in climate action activities including the Green Schools National Climate Change Action & Awareness programme, Such initiatives will be hugely important in helping to promote positive actions and innovative ideas to support communities in adapting to a changing climate.
The Minister emphasised the need to maintain a strong and ongoing connection to the youth of Ireland and the key role young people will have in influencing climate actions into the future. The Minister noted; “I would like to congratulate green schools for developing this climate hope event with schools here in the west of Ireland. We need to build on the hope shown by the six schools concerned and I for one am fully committed to ensuring schools have a key role to play in the on-going roll out of the National Dialogue on Climate Action. I am particularly pleased therefore to be in a position to announce our partnership with Green schools in developing a National Climate Change Action & Awareness programme which I see as having a crucial role to play in connecting students, parents and community groups from all over the country to share innovative actions”. A really exciting aspect of this work with Green Schools will be the development of a Climate Change Ambassador Programme where we are aiming to have a number of climate ambassadors working right across Ireland including from the schools themselves and I expect work on this programme to begin very shortly”

Notes for Editors

National Dialogue on Climate Action
· The Dialogue will run initially for a period of 2 years.
· A steering group to be established shortly with arrangements also being considered for a secretariat to be put in place to support and administer the activities of the dialogue.
· A series of Regional gatherings is also under consideration in terms of initiating local/regional input to the dialogue process.
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Green Schools National Climate Change Action and Awareness Programme
· National Climate Action Week October 2017:
Green – Schools Climate Action Day
Climate Action Pledge
· Climate Change Teacher Training Seminars
· Green-Schools Climate Change Resource
· Holding a Green Schools Expo 2018 Climate Action in the RDS in February 2018
· Green Schools Climate Change Ambassador Programme

Green-Schools Climate Change Ambassador Programme
· The programme will identify champions in schools, campuses and the community who will work as ambassadors’ for climate change.
· Youth and Senior ambassadors
· The aim of the programme is
o To increase awareness of the causes and outcomes of climate change
o Undertake actions in their schools, campus or community more resilient to climate change by improving their local environment
· Applications to open in September 2017
· Applicants chosen in October 2017