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.