Cocktail club in Laois discuss climate actions

TO coincide with the Laois Climate Action Festival the Climate Cocktail Club which was sponsored by Laois County Council organised a ‘Climate un-Laois-ed’ event in Ballintubbert House.

Those who attended were treated to complimentary mocktails which included locally sourced ingredients.

The event blended sustainability discussions, music and social engagement with the aim of inspiring climate action at the local level.

Live music was performed by local musicians from Lírnan on harp and violin.

The evening began with a reading from Jeremey Haworth, a grower, poet and founder of the social farm Charis Garden in Ballyadams.

The keynote speaker was the CEO of Bioregional Weaving Lab Ireland Sarah Prosser.

She spoke on reimagining thriving landscapes through community-first nature-based solutions.

Ms Prosser gave the audience a look through a different lens at Laois - Laois as a part of a Bioregion. A bioregion places a watershed perspective onto landscape restoration.

She also highlighted the opportunities for Laois and its wider Bioregion in helping overcome fragmented policies, funding, perspectives and priorities to create thriving and resilient landscapes and communities.

Following was an engaging panel discussion on sustainability where experts talked about how rural Ireland could lead the way in sustainable living, landscape restoration, and transitioning to a greener economy. The panel prompted conversations about integrating sustainable business practices and environmental consciousness into daily life, encouraging attendees to reflect on their roles in driving climate solutions.

Laois dairy farmer and Farming for Nature Ambassador Bruce Thompson said: “Rural communities have a unique opportunity to drive change and become leaders in climate action.” 

A Board Director at Tourism Ireland Mary Mulvey said: “There is a strong appetite in Laois to learn about how to make a difference locally for our wider environment.” 

The Community Climate Action Officer with Laois County Council Karen Moore who organised event with the founder of ‘BE IMPACTFUL – There is no planet B’ Tom Popple.

Ms Moore said: “In supporting this event as part of the Laois Climate Action Festival our goal is to bring people together and spark meaningful dialogue about how we can build a fairer and more resilient future together”.

The Climate Cocktail Club was established by Mr Popple to connect and catalyse changemakers to take action on the climate and nature crises.

He curated this first community based Climate Cocktail Club to engage diverse audiences through a combination of learning, creativity and networking.

He said: “Mobilising almost 150 people from across and beyond Laois is a testament to ethos of the Climate Cocktail Club. Communities want to be heard, need to be included and should be given a voice to share their vision for a positive future that delivers on local needs, climate and nature.”