UCC president says time is running out in climate battle as university launches action plan 

THE president of University College Cork (UCC) has said time is running out in the battle against climate change, and that the higher education sector must inspire change. 

Professor John O'Halloran was speaking as the university set sector-leading targets in its ambitious sustainability and climate action plan, launched in recent days by Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath.

UCC is aiming to become a zero-waste campus by 2030 and a carbon-neutral campus by 2040.

The five-year plan sets out 62 concrete actions that the university is committing to undertake over the next five years, working across the whole institution to reduce its environmental footprint.

The UCC plan also sets out its engagement plan with local authorities and the community on sustainability with UCC intending to develop a programme with Cork City Council that will assess green space use and promote wild areas, green space and food growing initiatives.

Speaking about the plan, Professor O’Halloran said that time is simply running out.

“We need to work harder and faster for the future of this planet and our students. The higher education sector must act to inspire change and through our research and learning and teaching we will work to help lead that change,” he said.

Plastic Free

Earlier this year, UCC went plastic-free on campus, eliminating the waste of 300,000 paper cups. The university also established the first sustainability and climate action office in Ireland’s higher education sector.

Dr Maria Kirrane, head of sustainability and climate action at UCC, said that the university has already demonstrated how it can transform our operations for the good of the environment by working with students, staff, and the wider community.

“We know we need to do more and this plan charts our pathway to becoming a truly sustainable university,” she said.

Associate vice-president for sustainability at UCC and director of UCC’s Environmental Research Institute, Professor Brian Ó Gallachóir, said the plan, which lays out the university’s pathway to becoming a carbon-neutral campus, also commits to driving emissions reduction outside of UCC by informing policy, supporting business and empowering society through engaged research on climate.

UCC Students’ Union Communications and Engagement Officer, Hayley O'Connell Vaughan, said: “Student activists have always been the key driving force behind sustainability practices in UCC, from our Green Flag to the rollout of the ‘Plastic Free UCC’ initiative.

“Without students, these initiatives would not have been possible. 

"It is imperative that we continue to listen to and support students in their work as we make strides towards a better and more sustainable future for all, starting right here in UCC.”