Mark Mellett, Former Head of the Irish Defence Forces
Release Date: 12/12/2022
Noel Cunniffe, chief executive of Wind Energy Ireland
Five Degrees of Change
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.
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Tomás Sercovich, chief executive of Business in the Community Ireland
Five Degrees of Change
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.
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Margie McCarthy, Director of Research and Policy Insights at the SEAI
Five Degrees of Change
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...
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Anne Graham, chief executive of the National Transport Authority
Five Degrees of Change
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...
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Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate Action
Five Degrees of Change
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.
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Claire DuPont, research professor of European and international governance at Ghent University
Five Degrees of Change
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.
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Alan Matthews, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Policy at Trinity College Dublin
Five Degrees of Change
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.
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Pádraic Fogarty, ecologist and wildlife advocate
Five Degrees of Change
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.
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Andrew Brownlee, ceo of Solas
Five Degrees of Change
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...
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Simon Sharpe, Director of Economics at UN Climate Champions
Five Degrees of Change
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...
info_outlineMark 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