Carlow to host its first-ever Climate Action Week

CARLOW County Council will host its first-ever Climate Action Week from 14-20 October. 

The week is an opportunity to highlight the many positive climate actions already underway in the county while drawing attention to the topic of climate change and offering positive climate action solutions to everybody in the community.

For this new annual event, Carlow County Council’s Climate Action Team has co-ordinated an exciting programme with a wide range of free events, with something to suit everyone.

The environmental impact of fast-fashion is high on the agenda this year and the team is asking all of us to consider how our need for the latest trend is having a detrimental impact on our climate.

People are invited to view a range of spectacular Junk Kouture gowns made by local students in Carlow town and county, which will be on display for the week in SETU, Kilkenny Road Campus as part of Climate Action Week. 

Junk Kouture is a television fashion competition for post-primary school students, where participants design, create and model fashion made from recycled items, and Carlow students have led the way in this competition for many years, with some very exciting regional and national wins enjoyed by local schools. 

If you fancy sprucing up your wardrobe for free, Change Clothes, a community-based clothing reuse hub in Crumlin, will be in Carlow College on Thursday 17 October from 11am to 2pm, hosting a community clothing swap shop. Why not come along and learn that looking fashionable doesn’t have to cost the earth?

Carlow Library is hosting a story session for the little ones with the ever-popular Wibbly Wobbly Wenday on the Saturday morning of Climate Action Week, while over-60s are invited to a dedicated conversation with Jacinta Barrins, founder and CEO of 60+ Climate Drive. 

As a quarter of the population is over 60, Jacinta is undertaking a national campaign to host climate conversations with those over 60 years of age to explore what climate action could look like for them.

Householders can book a one-to-to session with an energy engineer regarding low cost-effective changes, which can be made in the home to reduce escalating energy costs this winter, and companies can attend a green finance business breakfast hosted by Carlow Local Enterprise office in the Seven Oaks Hotel.

Alan O’Reilly, AKA Carlow’s weatherman, will host an online conversation about climate change and how it is affecting the weather, while the team at Carlow Fire Station are offering an opportunity to take a close look at their new low-carbon fire appliance, which has been received huge interest across the country and beyond.

“Our first Climate Action Week in Carlow is a huge step in bringing positive solutions to everyone and showing them how easy it is to make small changes in our lives to help our planet,” said cllr Fergal Browne, cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council.

“A range of events from tree planting to farm walks provides an excellent opportunity to highlight the exceptional and innovative work being carried out across our county.” With everything from bike repair workshops to talks on the circular economy, community climate action officer Áine Byrne anticipates Climate Action Week will encourage people to engage in positive climate conversations.

“I hope that from participating at events and engaging in conversations, people will start to develop an awareness of the positive action that is already taking place in their community, providing encouragement to consider what changes they can take at a personal and community level,” said Áine. 

“I am also delighted to announce that each of the groups funded under the Community Climate Action fund in Carlow will host events in their own community and will also be recognised at an event in the county chamber with chief executive and county councillors on Thursday 17 October.” 

For further information on what events are available during Carlow’s first Climate Action Week, please contact Áine Byrne, community climate action officer, on byrnea@carlowcoco.ie or 087 4604854.