On January 23rd, 2025, Community Law & Mediation’s Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) held a webinar to outline Ireland’s scientific and legal responsibilities on climate change, upcoming climate cases, and what the next Government must do to close the emissions gap.

The expert panel of speakers included:

– Professor Kevin Anderson , Climate Scientist and Professor of Energy and Climate Change at the University of Manchester: Kevin has been consistent in engaging widely across all tiers of government (UK and EU) on issues ranging from climate modelling (IAMs), carbon budgets and ‘negative emission technologies’. His analysis previously contributed to the framing of the UK’s Climate Change Act and the development of national carbon budgets.

Kevin spoke about the gap between where we are, and where we need to be, to remain within 1.5°.

– Dr. Andrew Jackson , Assistant Professor in Planning and Environmental Law at University College Dublin: Andrew is an environmental and planning lawyer, with broad interests in these fields at international, EU and Irish levels. He has been involved in public interest environmental and planning litigation for many years, including before the Irish, English and EU courts.

Andrew spoke about Ireland’s legal obligations to remain within 1.5°, as well as upcoming climate cases.

– Oisín Coghlan , CEO of Friends of the Earth: Oisín is the CEO of Friends of the Earth Ireland, the Irish member of the world’s largest network of grassroots environmental organisations with over 2 million supporters in 75 countries. He leads their work to ensure that legal framework is translated into the transformative action required to curb climate chaos.

Oisín spoke about what these scientific and legal obligations for 1.5° mean for Ireland’s new government.

– Rose Wall , CEO of Community Law & Mediation: Rose has been the CEO of Community Law & Mediation since 2013. In 2021, Rose set up CLM’s (and Ireland’s first) Centre for Environmental Justice, which works to ensure that marginalised groups are not disproportionately impacted by climate change or other environmental harms, and that environmental measures and climate action protect and build equality and social justice.

Rose chaired the event, and spoke about why CLM is engaging in the climate justice space, and bringing climate cases.