Five Degrees of Change

Paul Kenny spent over four years advising Eamon Ryan as minister for environment. During that time he learnt a lot about how the science of climate change interacts with the art of politics, and has lots of interesting lessons to impart as a result.  For his policy changes, he spoke about ensuring environmental impact assessments are carried out on products, using financial windfalls to the state to invest in the electricity grid, and ramping up heat pump delivery across Europe.  For his personal changes he spoke about dedicating his professional life to sustainablility, and decarbonising his home. 

 Marie Sherlock is a Labour Party senator and general election candidate for Dublin Central.  Marie has long been a member of the Labour Party and has a background as a trade unionist, so social justice is central to her vision of environmentalism. She is a huge advocate of the power of local environmental initiatives, but also wants the Labour Party to be back in government to deliver national environmental policy too.   For her policy changes, she spoke about ramping up retrofitting by taking a street-by-street approach, adopting WHO limits on air quality, and scaling up investment in wind energy.  For her personal changes, we discussed her cargo bike purchase, and reducing waste at home.  

This week's episode is with Darren O'Rourke, Sinn Féin TD for Meath East and the party's spokesman on Climate and Environment. O'Rourke is critical of what he calls the austerity approach to environmentalism undertaken by this government, and is proposing climate action under Sinn Féin that would be more equitable, and therefore would have greater buy in from the public   For his policy changes, he spoke about funding the green transition more fairly, use our national energy resources for public good rather than private gain, and make the energy transition more accessible to ordinary working families.  For his personal changes, O'Rourke spoke about reducing waste at home, and reducing his transport emissions.

This week's episode is with Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrats TD for Wicklow. Jennifer helped found the Social Democrats and was first elected as a TD in the 2020 general election, but before that she was trained in ecology and environmental law, and spent many years working in environmental protection, especially in relation to marine life. She is therefore one of the best informed and equipped TDs on environmental issues, and she has ambitions to take her knowledge into government to make a real impact.   For her policy changes, she chose to expand the climate action plan, to develop a strategic policy for data centres, and to ensure the implementation of new marine protected areas.  For her personal changes she spoke about retrofitting her home and rewilding her garden.

Roderic O'Gorman, is leader of the Green Party and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Roderic has taken on the role of leader of the Green Party from his predecessor Eamon Ryan just as the coalition government is coming to an end. His primary task is to get as many Green Party TDs re-elected as possible, and he believes the party's track record in government over the last few years will land with voters. For is policy changes, Roderic discussed making public transport more commuter focused, simplifying the state's retrofitting schemes, and making greater use of state land for biodiversity. For his personal changes, he discussed growing his own food and installing solar panels at home.  

Paul Murphy is a People Before Profit TD. Murphy identifies as an ecosocialist, a political philosophy adopted in more recent years by his party. He has become a leading advocate for environmental change in the Dáil, and lays most of the blame for our environmental degradation on the capitalist system, which he says promotes consumption of our natural environment without any regard for our planetary boundaries.    For his policy changes, Murphy chose to ban fossil fuel advertising, to renationalise our energy system, and to invest in low-carbon care jobs.    For his personal changes, Murphy spoke about rewilding his garden and cycling more. 

Leo Varadkar is the former Taoiseach and former leader of Fine Gael. Under his tenure at the top of government, the most substantial climate policies in the history of the state were implemented, but will they enough to bring Ireland from being a "climate laggard" to a climate leader?    For his policy changes, Varadkar chose to reform the Common Agricultural Policy to incentivise more sustainable farming, to make Ireland a leader in Sustainable Aviation Fuel, and to build more electricity interconnection.   For his personal changes, he spoke about repairing his clothes to get a longer life out of them, and reducing food waste at home. 

Noel Cunniffe is chief executive of Wind Energy Ireland, the business group representing the wind power sector in Ireland.  For his policy changes, Cunniffe chose to ensure the planning system is equipped for the volume of renewables projects coming down the line, to launch a communications campaign around upgrading the electricity grid, and to create an energy demand strategy to use Ireland's excess renewables' resources.  For his personal changes, Cunniffe explained how he was gardening for biodiversity, and how he was building his new home with clean energy in mind. 

Tomás Sercovich is chief executive of Business in the Community Ireland, a business association providing advice and leadership on sustainability and corporate social responsibility.    For his policy changes, Sercovich chose to ensure more diverse boards, to refocus valuation in companies on non-financial outcomes, and to future-fit business models for opportunities in sustainability.    For his personal changes, he spoke about choosing to work in corporate sustainability, and how he is making more sustainable choices in his life. 

Margie McCarthy is Director of Research and Policy Insights at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Through her work, McCarthy is at the forefront of Ireland's sustainable energy revolution and has a passion not only for solving its technical challenges, but for overcoming the social obstacles to the scale of change needed.  For her policy changes, McCarthy chose to create a vision for Ireland in 2050, to accelerate the roll out of district heating, and to wind down fossil fuel subsidies.  For her personal changes, McCarthy chose to buy no new dresses in 2024, and to tune in to opposing opinions. 

Anne Graham is chief execitive of the National Transport Authority. She is tasked with leading the tranformation of Ireland's public and active transport systems, so that people can be encouraged out of their cars and onto bikes, buses and trains.    For her policy changes, she chose to ensure the planning system is equipped to deliver transport infrastructure, to ensure compact development for more sustainable communities, and to move transport to multi-year funding.    For her personal changes, she spoke about using public transport, using her bike, and plans to retrofit her home. 

Wopke Hoekstra is the European Commissioner for Climate Action, having served as deputy prime minister of the Netherlands, as well as minister for foreign affairs and minister for finance.    For his policy changes, Hoekstra chose to enhance climate diplomacy, to build more carbon markets around the world, and to bridge climate action with economic competitiveness.   For his personal changes, he discussed recycling more and managing his own energy footprint. 

Claire DuPont is a research professor of European and international governance at Ghent University, with a deep knowledge of the political economy of climate action.    For her policy changes, she chose to better integrate the humanities and social sciences into the policy process, to invest in infrastructure and public services for climate resilience and climate justice, and to do proper climate risk assessments.    For her personal changes, she spoke about trying to eat a plant based diet and doing more civic and community engagement. 

Alan Matthews is a retired professor of agricultural policy and economics at Trinity College Dublin. One of Ireland's leading experts in farm economics and sustainability, Matthews chose for his policy changes to tackle the climate problem in agriculture through measurement and a land based emissions trading scheme, to reform the Common Agricultural Policy for sustainability, and to help consumers make for sustainable choices. For his personal changes, he spoke about cooking more vegetarian meals, and getting involved in influencing policy. 

Pádraic Fogarty shares his deep knowledge about nature and why it is in chronic decline in this episode. For his policy changes, Pádraic chose to rewild 30% of Ireland, to put nature rights into the constitution, and to end industrial fishing. For his personal changes, Pádraic spoke about quitting meat and flying less. 

Originally from Scotland, Andrew Brownlee is placing himself at the heart of Ireland's green transition by helping drive and develop the key skills needed across the economy to deliver on our climate targets.    As chief executive of Solas, the Irish state agency responsible for further education and training, Andrew believes that developing the right skills in the Irish workforce is the key to the energy transition.   For his policy changes, he propose green skills for all, green skills for construction, and green skills for careers.   For his personal changes he discussed walking more and leaving the car at home, and upgrading his energy rating at home. 

  Having trained as a physicist, Simon Sharpe decided to join the British civil service back in 2009 because he wanted the opportunity to solve “big problems”. Sharpe has since become something of a climate missionary within the British government, working on climate change at several different departments over the years, from energy to enterprise, and even representing the UK at the UN climate negotiations. Sharpe has now written a book called Five Times Faster, based on the simple premise that if global warming is to be kept below safe levels, then we will have to reduce emissions five times faster in the next decade than we have done in the previous decade. For his policy changes, he chose to develop risk assessment in the climate science space, to shift our economic modelling away from dated techniques to ones more consistent with a diverse and changing economy, and to move climate diplomacy towards getting agreement on action in individual sectors.    For his personal change he chose to increase biodiversity in his garden and to take a zero emissions approach to his barbeque.

Sadhbh O'Neill is a climate activist with extensive experience fighting for climate action in Ireland, who is currently working with Stop Climate Chaos. Whether in the media, by running for election, through her research, or through the courts, O'Neill knows there are various avenues through which a better relationship with the environment can be demanded and achieved.    For her policy changes, she chose to implement energy rating passports for buildings, make school transport free, and to ensure the planning system is fit to deliver our climate needs.    For her personal changes, she chose to nourish the activist and to cut down on single use packaging. 

Muireann Lynch is an energy researcher with the Economic and Social Research Institute who has an incredibly detailed understanding of the irish energy system. During her interview she displayed both a professional and a personal interest in the challenges of decarbonisation.    For her policy changes, she propsed testing all behavioural change policies, thinking about systems instead of technologies, and reviewing the planning system.   For her personal changes she discussed breastfeeding for longer and buying a cargo bike.  

Neasa Hourigan has developed a reputation as a hard-working, principled, and increasingly disruptive politician. The Green Party TD for Dublin Central is currently serving a 15-month suspension from the parliamentary party after voting against her government colleagues on the ending of the eviction ban – the latest in a series of vote rebellions by Hourigan. But she is determined to keep pursuing her political objectives, especially in relation to climate change and the environment.   For her policy changes, Hourigan chose to ensure proper climate accounting for the private and public sector, to take a longer term view on state planning and development, and to limit the sizes of large multinational companies.   For her personal changes. she proposed joining a union and looking after her mental health while working on climate issues.

Mark Mellett is former chief of staff of the Irish Defence forces. Mellett has a unique perspective on climate and environment, having worked as with the Irish Naval Services and the Irish Defence Forces for many years. His experience has led him to believe that climate change poses one of the biggest security risks facing the world today, from migration, to conflict, to protecting new energy infrastructure. For his policy changes, Mellett proposed for Ireland to bolster European Union security and autonomy by becoming a clean energy hub, address climate security and migration at an international level, and promote loss and damage funding for poorer countries. For his personal change Mark discussed buying an electric car, and how he had set up a new company to help contribute to global climate action

Erinch Sahan is Business and Enterprise lead with the Doughnut Economics Action Lab. Doughnut economics is a new economic theory that pitches the idea of two visualised rings that represent planetary boundaries and social foundations. The theory advocates for an economic model that takes account of both, ensuring that we produce a strong enough economy to meet the social needs of society, without exceeding the ecological ceiling of our planet and its resources.  For his policy changes, Sahan chose to transform the ownership and governance of businesses so they are regenerative and distributive by design, to redesign the financial system so it is in service of wellbeing for all and our living planet, and to design policies that fosters businesses that create a new green economy. For his personal changes, he discussed speaking to family and friends about the new green economy, and reducing flying and meat in his diet.

Michelle Murphy is a research and policy analyst with Social Justice Ireland, the social justice think tank. Social Justice Ireland puts equality and poverty prevention at the heart of its research and advocacy, and it considers environmental issues to be first and foremost social justice issues. For her policy changes, Murphy proposed a carbon tax on food, investment in cycling infrastructure, and setting up regional Just Transition dialogues. For her personal changes, Murphy spoke about reducing food waste and trying to reduce transport emissions after moving to rural Ireland.

Laura Burke is the director general of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ireland's environmental state agency and regulator. For her policy changes, Burke chose to form a national policy position on the environment, to prioritise action over aspiration on environmental issues, and to address the polarisation of the environmental debate. For her personal changes she discussed reducing her family's transport emissions and walking more in her local area. 

Andrew Murphy is head of buildings and industry with the Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS), an NGO researching and advocating for high sustainability standards in products and regulations across the EU. For his policy changes, Andrew chose to include aviation and shipping emissions in national climate targets, to ensure pre-demolition audits are carried out, and to ban emissions' offsetting. For his personal changes he chose to move from glass wine bottles to using canned or boxed wine, and to turn down the heat in his apartment building. 

Thomas Duffy is a farmer from Cavan in Ireland as well as an agri-environmental consultant. He has served as president of the Irish youth farming association, Macra Na Feirme, and is currently vice-president of the European Council of Young Farmers. For his policy changes, Duffy chose to implement an EU carbon border tax, to ban the below cost selling of food, and to make public transport free for under-25s. For her personal changes, Duffy spoke about flying less and putting solar on his farm. 

Laura Heuston is a co-founder of the sustainability consultancy Sustainability Works. Her expertise in sustainable finance brought a unique perspective to this episode on how businesses can clean up their act and play their role in mitigating climate change. For her policy changes, Laura chose to bridge  the language gap between sustainability experts and the corporate world, to distinguish between ESG integration and investing for sustainable impacts, and to brand Ireland's climate tech sector for a global market. For her personal change she spoke about changing her career and buying an electric car. 

Jim Scheer has broad and detailed understanding of Ireland's energy system, working as he does developing Ireland's energy statistics and creating insights for the government to use in the energy transition. For his policy changes, Jim proposed speeding up clean energy infrastructure projects, slowing down our high energy lives, and supporting local communities in climate action and building climate resilience. For his personal change Jim discussed quitting meat and reconnecting with nature

Diarmuid Torney is Associate Professor School of Law and Government DCU and one of Ireland's leading experts in climate governance and climate law. For his policy changes, he chose to fully equip the state to deliver climate action, to improve climate education, and to embed environmental justice in policy making. For his personal changes he discussed flying less and buying local produce with little to no packaging waste. 

Sustainability is now the buzzword in transport and Brian Caulfield is one of Ireland's leading experts in the area of sustainable mobility. He is an associate professor at the department of civil, structural and environmental engineering and is producing a high volume of research that is directly informing Ireland' shifting transport policy landscape. For his policy changes, he chose a cross party transport infrastructure plan, imposing parking limits in cities, and prioritising the electrification of taxis and car shares. For his personal changes he discussed buying an electric car and flying less.

Holly Cairns is a Social Democrats TD for Cork South West who was raised on a small farm in west Cork. For her policy changes, Holly proposed taking a science led approach to agricultural policy, moving away from dairy intensification, and incentivising afforestation and horticulture. For her personal changes, Holly spoke about getting involved in politics and buying locally grown food. 

Bríd Smith is a People Before Profit TD for Dublin South Central whose political activism has resulted in successful campaigns against oil and gas exploration in Ireland and the proliferation of data centres. For her three policy changes, Smith chose to ban data centres, stop new fossil fuel infrastructure, and make public transport free. For her personal change she spoke about cycling more and reducing meat in her diet. 

Oisín Coghlan joins Daniel Murray to share his Five Degrees of Change. This discussion includes policy proposals such as setting fair sectoral emissions targets, reducing energy demand and making schools centres of climate action. Oisin's personal changes include decarbonising his family life and joining his local climate action group.

Conall Bolger, chief executive of the Irish Solar Energy Association, gives his Five Degrees of Change, including scaling up solar energy, aiming for 100 per cent renewable electricity on the grid, and empowering citizens to reap the benefits of DIY energy production.

Lynn Boylan is a Sinn Féin senator with a background in environmentalism and experience working in Europe as an MEP.  For her Five Degrees of Change, Boylan spoke about lowering the voting age to 16, making ecocide a crime, exiting the Energy Charter Treaty, making space for nature in her garden, and trying to use her car less. 

Ed Brophy worked as a government advisor to three different Irish governments over the last decade, with a front row seat to inner workings of a our political system. He has a unique insight into the state managing crises, as he was present for the fallout of the financial crash, the consequences of Brexit and most recently the pandemic. Brophy's Five Degrees of Change included making climate change a key tenet of macroeconomic policy, making climate change part of the curriculum, and getting cars out of cities.

Hannah is one of Ireland's leading energy analysts. She has become a regular feature of radio and newspaper media as Ireland has begun to wrestle with the scale of the energy transition that lies ahead. For her Five Degrees of Change, Hannah chose to install safe walking and cycling infrastructure near schools, to divise a national land use and food production strategy, to set a national curriculum at secondary and third level for climate change, and to change her diet and fossil fuel habits. 

Norman Crowley is a serial clean energy entrepreneur. He has several successful businesses in the clean energy and climate action space, from helping large manufacturers reduce their energy waste, to running a climate change exhibition at the Powerscourt estate in Wicklow, to retrofitting expensive classic cars with electric engines . For his policy changes, Norman chose to ensure data centres use their power generation assets to support the electricity grid, to create a regulatory framework to allow electric cars feed power from their batteries back into the grid, and to incentivise research for cellular lab grown meat and make Ireland a leader in the future of lab-grown meat production For his personal changes, Norman discussed how he eats less meat and how he drives electric most of the time.

This bonus episode of Five Degrees of Change comes from Glasgow on November 11th, just as the COP26 negotiations reach their critical point. We speak with three Irish experts attending the conference about what changes they would like to see come out of COP26.  

Catherine Sheridan spent many years working in Ervia, where she experienced the politics and the practicalities of building out and recasting critical Irish infrastructure such as gas and water networks. She is now chief operations officer with EI-H2, which is planning to build Ireland's first green hydrogen facility in Cork. For her Five Degrees of Change, Sheridan chose a national hydrogen strategy, decarbonising the gas grid, and takin a whole of energy system approach to climate action, as well as living a minimalist lifestyle, and taking an approach of imperfect pragmatism to her personal environmentalism. 

Fraser Stewart is a PhD student researching local renewable energy systems at the University of Strathclyde. As well as giving a preview of COP26, Fraser discussed his Five Degrees of Change, including scaling up local and community owned renewable energy, using more public transport, and getting more working class voices into the energy and climate policy space. 

Saoirse McHugh is a political activist who has made a big impression in the two years since she first ran for election. In this week's episode, Saoirse gives her Five Degrees of Change, including shutting Ireland down as a tax haven, stopping flying, going vegan and establishing a Department of Food. 

Michael E Mann, one of the world's best known climate scientists, gives his Five Degrees of Change for a better relationship with the planet. Michael explains why he has taken to the front line of the climate war, and how the forces of "inaction" are changing their tactics from outright climate denial, to deception, distraction and doom mongering. 

Sinead Mercier gives her Five Degrees of Change, including ensuring a just transition, only buying second hand clothes, and greater public ownership of our energy system. 

Eamon Ryan, leader of the Irish Green Party and current Minister for Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport gives his Five Degrees of Change for a greener world. From growing our offshore wind industry, to getting Ireland's district heating system off the ground, to eating better for his health and the environment, Ryan displays a deep knowledge and passion for environmental policy.

Following the Irish last general election, the strained arithmetic of a three-way coalition between Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party meant Richard Bruton lost out on a cabinet seat, despite being broadly recognised as having led an energetic reform agenda at the Department of the Environment over his term in office. His Climate Action Plan represented a sea change in Irish climate policy, and will serve as the framework for Irish climate action in years to come. In this episode, Richard gives his five degrees of change for a greener world. 

Marie Donnelly, Chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council gives her Five Degrees of Change. The Climate Change Advisory Council advises the Irish government directly on climate policy and is instrumental in holding the Irish state to account for its climate progress. 

David Connolly of Wind Energy Ireland discusses three policy changes and two personal changes for a greener world in his episode of Five Degrees of Change.

Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for the European Green Deal discussed his three policy changes and two personal changes for a greener world. 

Daniel Murray is joined by Mark Foley, chief executive of Eirgrid, for the latest episode of Five Degrees of Change.    Eirgrid operates the national electricity grid, which you use every time you turn on your lights at home, or power up your computer at work, or plug in your phone in a coffee shop. It delivers the electric lifeblood of our economy, and plans the electricity network out into the future so that power generation continues to meet projected electricity demand.   It sources and connects new power generators to the grid, and it manages the distribution of that energy carefully to prevent surges or blackouts.

In episode ten, host Daniel Murray is joined by Donna Gartland, CEO of Codema, Dublin‘s energy agency.   Donna is a qualified electrician who decided early on that she wanted to study energy engineering. After completing her Bachelors of Engineering in Energy in Tallaght Institute of Technology, Donna went on to do a masters in Denmark in sustainable energy planning. In 2013 Donna joined Codema where she worked as a senior energy planner, monitoring and reporting on the progress of the sustainable energy action plan for Dublin city whilst also working on Dublin‘s first district heating systems which could prove complete game changers for how we warm our homes in Ireland.   Earlier this year Donna was appointed CEO of Codema, solidifying her position as a trailblazing leader in Ireland‘s sustainable energy sector. She and Daniel discussed heating systems, the role for gas in our energy future mix and even fossil fuel advertising.