Impact & Opinions | Tionchar & Tuairimí

Sustainability

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SDG Champion
18 April 2024
15  MINS

The Learning Commons: A Library, Reimagined

Monica Crump

Monica Crump, Interim University Librarian explores this radically different library of the future, supporting collaboration, creativity and new forms of teaching, learning and engagement.

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SDG Champion
11 January 2024
< 1  MINS

Sustainability at a glance…

Sustainability achievements at the University of Galway, at a glance.

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SDG Champion
19 December 2023
7  MINS

Focal ón Uachtarán

President, Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
18  MINS

“Water is at the centre of the climate crisis.”

Rory Moses McKeown, WHO

As a fundamental human need affecting a range of SDGs, access to clean and safe drinking-water is essential to a sustainable future. Rory Moses McKeown, University of Galway alum and Senior Technical Consultant at WHO, shares his views on the challenges to water safety and access in a climate crisis, and the emerging role of water in global conflicts.

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
16  MINS

Students for Climate Action: Cameron Noah Keighron

Cameron Noah Keighron

“Climate action can seem overwhelming; with all the media, reports and statistics, you might feel like you don’t know where to start.” University of Galway student Cameron Noah Keighron has joined 35 other students from 18 countries across the globe, to pave the way for a new generation of climate action. Through the Tallories Network, a cooperation for social responsibility in Higher Education, the group have devised a ten-year action plan to drive civic engagement and influence policy around education and meaningful research on the gendered impacts of climate change.

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
19  MINS

Alumni Spotlight: Sam  Murphy-Kerry, Accenture

Sam Murphy-Kerry

University of Galway graduate and business strategy leader, Sam Murphy-Kerry is the North America Director at the Sustainability Studio at Accenture Song, the tech-powered creative group of Accenture. Accenture Song’s Sustainability Studio is dedicated to making sustainability relevant and actionable for everyone. As the business world increasingly faces pressing calls for sustainable action, creativity and strategy have never been more important. Here, Sam explains to Cois Coiribe why sustainability and growth, by definition, “ought to go hand in hand.”

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
24  MINS

“Ragged Desolation of Men and Things”?

Breandán Mac Suibhne, Laura Kelly, Niall Whelehan

In an essay published in July 2023 in the catalogue for Christina McBride’s Críocha an Chroí / Heartland exhibition in An Gailearaí, Gaoth Dobhair, historians Breandán Mac Suibhne of the University of Galway and Laura Kelly and Niall Whelehan of the University of Stratheclyde respond to her images of the rock-strewn landscape of north-west Donegal.

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
7  MINS

Ó Chois Fharraige go COP28

Dr John Caulfield

Céard atá le rá ag an nglúin óg in Éirinn faoin athrú aeráide? D’oibrigh foireann Ollscoil na Gaillimhe in éineacht le dhá mheánscoil Ghaeltachta i nGaillimh chun dóchas agus imní a ndaltaí a roinnt leis an domhan mór. 

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18 December 2023
19  MINS

Flóra na Gaeltachta: saibhreas na bithéagsúlachta mar áis foghlama

An Dr Seathrún Ó Tuairisg

Tugann Seathrún Ó Tuairisg léargas ar phlandaí coitianta agus neamhchoitianta atá le feiceáil i gceantar Chois Fharraige i gConamara, Co. na Gaillimhe. Tugann an obair seo spléach ar a thábhachtaí atá an bhithéagsúlacht don timpeallacht agus don tsochaí – ábhar atá thar a bheith tráthúil anois agus muid in éigeandáil aeráide agus i ngéarchéim bhithéagsúlachta. Is réimse é seo a luíonn isteach go mór le straitéis Ollscoil na Gaillimhe i leith na spriocanna forbartha inbhuanaithe (SDG) – Sprioc 15, Beathra Talún, go háirithe. 

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
25  MINS

Smart Sustainability at the World’s Largest Sports Air Dome

John Prenty, Kurt Reinhardt, Cathal Cregg

As 2023 SGD Champion, the University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome is a beacon of sustainable innovation for Ireland. In this SDG Champion Edition, Cois Coiribe asks the team about its partnership with University of Galway, its dynamic Green Clubs programme and the complexities of managing the world’s largest sports air dome – a versatile indoor facility, accessible to clubs and visitors throughout the region and beyond.

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SDG Champion
15 December 2023
18  MINS

Imagine a Futuristic, Sustainable City between Galway and Dublin

Prof Padraic Kenna

We like to mix the global and the local in Galway. We talk a lot about climate, justice, land and housing, which is why the Sustainable Development Goals mean so much to us. Our greatest task now is to envisage the carbon-free, sustainable and inclusive communities of the future. ‘THE LINE’ offers a glimpse into what these could look like. 

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SDG Champion
15 December 2023
18  MINS

The Student Pantry: A Solution to Food Waste

Adam Mullins, Meadhbh McNutt

Astrophysics student, Adam Mullins is the founder of The Student Pantry, a student-led solution to food waste and insecurity based in the University of Galway. When 22 year-old Adam isn’t in the lab studying, he is out collecting 1000kg of wasted food items from Galway’s supermarkets to provide free, healthy meals for a growing student population. Here, Meadhbh McNutt sits down with Adam to discuss the importance of removing the barriers to sustainability and food security, and his future plans for The Student Pantry.   

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SDG Champion
14 December 2023
16  MINS

Sustainable Galway, for a Sustainable World

Prof Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Deputy President and Registrar

Sustainability is crucial for universities to fulfil their role as responsible institutes for the public good. Deputy President and Registrar, University of Galway, Prof. Pól Ó Dochartaigh, reflects on our achievements and learnings thus far, as we embark on a transformative journey towards a sustainable Galway, for a sustainable world.

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SDG Champion
17 November 2023
17  MINS

Aligning our Research with Sustainable Development Goals

Prof James Livesey

In today’s hyper developed and interconnected world, we see isolated actions give rise to global repercussions like never before. As a framework for addressing global issues, the UN Sustainable Development Goals are a call to action for universities to consider the wider impact of their research. Here VP for Research & Innovation, Prof James Livesey explains how the SDGs have inspired a new approach to research strategy and prioritisation.

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SDG Champion
17 November 2023
14  MINS

In Conversation: Dorothy Creaven, Rent the Runway

Dorothy Creaven

Since its 2009 launch, Rent the Runway has made headlines as a sustainable alternative to fast fashion, and more recently as the first female-founded company with a female CEO, COO and CFO to go public. Rent the Runway’s e-commerce service allows users to rent clothes from 800+ designers, disrupting a trillion-dollar fashion sector. At its European HQ in the heart of Galway City, University of Galway alum Dorothy Creaven is transforming the company’s digital infrastructure as VP and Managing Director. We sat down with Dorothy to discuss the impact of her work in building a sustainable future for fashion.

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SDG Champion
07 November 2023
13  MINS

The Real-World Effects of Cyberbullying

Dr Mairéad Foody

Easy access to virtual social space has seen young people face dangers of cyberbullying, sextortion and online victimisation. Many primary schools have taken steps to ban smartphones on school grounds, following the launch of government guidelines on restrictions of smartphone use among young people. According to Assistant Professor of Psychology, Dr Mairéad Foody, research is key in informing quality prevention and intervention among schools, parents and guardians.

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SDG Champion
04 October 2023
14  MINS

Food Systems are Failing SDG Efforts: What are the Trade-offs?

Dr Anne Mullen

“The goals and targets of the SDGs don’t always synergise – there are many trade-offs – and fixation on individual SDGs is a hurdle for progress.” According to Dr Anne Mullen of the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences and the Ryan Institute, sustainable food systems are a key entry-point to accelerate progress across multiple SDGs. University of Galway is uniquely placed to understand and act on food systems – and our designation as SDG Champion gives us an even greater voice and responsibility to do so.

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Resilient Innovation
28 June 2023
12  MINS

Spotlight On: Cormac Mac Donncha, Vice President, Thermo King EMEA

Many of us know Thermo King as an established leader in transport refrigeration, but fewer have heard of the manufacturing giant’s plans to reduce customer carbon emissions by one billion metric tonnes, by 2030. Here, Vice President (EMEA) and University of Galway alum, Cormac Mac Donncha discusses Thermo King’s plans to become a carbon-neutral global enterprise. 

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Resilient Innovation
26 June 2023
8  MINS

Regional Business Summit: Engaging People and Leading on Sustainability

In partnership with ITAG and Galway Chamber, J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics’ Regional Business Summit: Engaging People and Leading on Sustainability was a highly anticipated event at University of Galway, drawing over 150 business leaders, policymakers and sustainability advocates from regional industries and sectors. The summit, held on 31 March 2023, aimed to foster dialogue, collaboration and innovation to address pressing environmental and social challenges while promoting sustainable economic growth in the West of Ireland.

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Resilient Innovation
22 June 2023
19  MINS

An Mheitheal Rothar: Pioneering a New Model for the Circular Economy

Dr Sinéad Mitchell, Lecturer, Sustainability and Strategy, College of Business, Public Policy and Law; , Catherine  Coote, Co-Founder,  An Mheitheal Rothar,

Today’s economy, defined by in-built obsolescence, relies on the extraction of over 90% virgin materials from the earth. Pioneering a new model for the ‘social startup’ based at University of Galway, An Mheitheal Rothar (AMR) is determined to show us that a circular economy is possible in the West of Ireland. Lecturer in Sustainability and Strategy, Dr Sinéad Mitchell and AMR cofounder, Catherine Coote tells us exactly what makes this unique model a success.  

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Resilient Innovation
22 June 2023
17  MINS

Putting a Cost on Climate Stress: AI Can Help

Dr Aaron Golden

The cost of climate stress to food production is monumental, and attempting to calculate that cost is a complex, data-driven task. 2023 ENLIGHT Impact Award Winner and PI of the TAPAS project, Dr Aaron Golden is harnessing the potential of AI deep learning to detect fluctuations in biomass production linked to climate change visible from space. This innovative technology identifies not only the cost of such climate stress, but identifies those regions most in need of intervention. 

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Resilient Innovation
22 June 2023
19  MINS

GEOFIT: More than a Hole in the Ground

Luis Miguel Blanes Restoy

What started as a hole in the ground on the University of Galway campus grounds is now a living field-scale laboratory for geothermal technology. Beyond heating the campus swimming pool, GEOFIT’s ground-source heat pump infrastructure will act as a pilot for other European countries, influencing policy and propelling Ireland’s decarbonisation journey forward as a whole.

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Creative Galway
10 January 2023
14  MINS

Earth Writings: A Toolkit for The Climate Crisis

Dr Nessa Cronin

What makes the knowledge systems of the arts and humanities uniquely valuable in addressing our current planetary predicament? Lecturer Dr Nessa Cronin brings together artists, academics, scientists and community activists to explore this key question. Together with her collaborators, she has created a creative toolkit in Earth Writings—a critical and inquisitive lens through which to navigate the climate emergency—the impact of which is now reaching classrooms across numerous disciplines.

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15 December 2022
14  MINS

A Sustainable Future for University of Galway 

Sustainability has been gathering momentum as a core value at our university for a number of years now. Most recently, sustainability was enshrined in our University of Galway Strategic Plan 2020-2025 as one of four key values. Alongside and linked to – respect, openness and excellence – sustainability is now at the heart of everything we do.

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15 December 2022
13  MINS

Spotlight On: Hannah Douglas, OWUSS Scholar

Marine Science graduate Hannah Douglas is half way through a year-long experience of a lifetime – a whirlwind trip around the world to visit and experience up-close some of most remarkable sea life in existence as a 2022 European Our World-Underwater Scholarship Recipient.

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Sustainability
21 July 2022
23  MINS

In Conversation With: Paul Fahy, Artistic Director, Galway International Arts Festival

Thousands of festival goers descend on Galway City for two weeks each year in July, for the Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF). The value that GIAF brings to the city and its surroundings is indisputable – attracting world-class acts to the West of Ireland, putting Galway on the global cultural map and increasing footfall to local businesses. While sustainability has always been a goal for the festival (out of necessity as much as ethics), this year marks an important leap in its sustainability journey.

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27 June 2022
10  MINS

Sustainability – A Student’s Perspective

Malena Thren In Conversation with, Tiffany Greenwaldt-Simon 

Since arriving at NUI Galway to study Environmental Science, Malena Thren has been determined to enact change.

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Sustainability
23 June 2022
16  MINS

The Power of ‘Enough’ – From efficiency to sufficiency

Prof Frances Fahy

What is the maximum level of consumption you need in order to live a good life? While lacking the cool factor of ‘clean’ tech, questions like this one around habit and social expectations are just as crucial in encouraging a mass shift towards sustainability. Through extensive research and case studies, Prof Frances Fahy has learned that less is certainly more in the fight against the climate crisis.

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Sustainability
21 June 2022
24  MINS

Global Sea Levels are Rising – Here’s what we can do

Dr Eugene Farrell, Lecturer & Researcher, Geography, NUI Galway

Despite predictions that large parts of Ireland’s coast will be submerged underwater by 2050, Ireland is still decades away from realising the potential of nature-based solutions. Here, geographer Dr Eugene Farrell explains how we can help face the challenges of climate change by restoring key coastal ecosystems.

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Sustainability
15 June 2022
12  MINS

‘Imperfect’ sustainability is still sustainability

Sophie O’Byrne in Conversation with Tiffany Greenwaldt-Simon

Medical Student Sophie O’Byrne, winner of the 2021 Student Sustainability Leadership Award, discusses her take on sustainability and the changes she’d like to see in the healthcare industry.

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Sustainability
15 June 2022
13  MINS

‘Sustainability is a smart business strategy’

Joanne Sheahan

Joanne Sheahan, Senior Executive for Climate Action & Sustainability with Enterprise Ireland talks about sustainability and business in Ireland.

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Sustainability
08 June 2022
17  MINS

Beyond GDP – The value of marine ecosystem services

Prof Stephen Hynes

According to the most recent climate change report from the United Nations, sea level rise, ocean heat and acidification are massively impacting the ability of our oceans to deliver many of the critical ecosystem services that we depend on, yet take for granted. Governments and policy makers have generally failed to recognise the value of these marine ecosystem services in national income accounts and project appraisals; that situation is now changing.

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Sustainability
02 June 2022
7  MINS

ROPES: Biodiversity

Claire Hennessy

Published annually by students of the MA in Literature and Publishing at NUI Galway, ROPES Literary Journal  has firmly established itself as part of the flourishing literary scene in Ireland. Biodiversity by award-winning writer Claire Hennessy, provokes readers to consider ourselves and our futures in relation to our threatened and fragile environments. Originally published in Issue 30, and launched at the 2022 Cúirt International Festival of Literature.

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Sustainability
18 May 2022
30  MINS

Taking Risks on Life on this Planet

Tom McDermott, Dr Denis O’Hora

More than ever, we understand the causes of climate change and the likely consequences of inaction. So, what stops us from reducing carbon emissions in a meaningful way? Lecturer in Economics of Climate Change & Development, Tom McDermott and Behavioural Scientist, Dr Denis O’Hora investigate why we, as a society, have been unable to make greater progress in tackling this existential challenge.

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17 May 2022
7  MINS

ROPES: The Apiarist

R.J. Breathnach

Published annually by students of the MA in Literature and Publishing at NUI Galway, ROPES Literary Journal  has firmly established itself as part of the flourishing literary scene in Ireland. R. J. Breathnach’s poem, The Apiarist provoke readers to consider ourselves and our futures in relation to our threatened and fragile environments. Originally published in Issue 30, and launched at the 2022 Cúirt International Festival of Literature.

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Sustainability
29 April 2022
14  MINS

Why NUI Galway is 5th in the World for Responsible Consumption

As NUI Galway is named the number one university in Ireland for Sustainable Development in Times Higher Education’s (THE) Impact Rankings 2022, and fifth in the world for Responsible Consumption and Production, we take a look at some of the projects leading the way in sustainability at the University. Throughout the summer, Cois Coiribe will highlight the groundbreaking work university experts, researchers & alumni are doing to fight climate change  

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