RWE marks Climate Emergency Day with former President of Ireland Mary Robinson

On Monday 22nd July RWE Renewables Ireland were proud to co-sponsor the Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN) Ireland event ‘Climate Justice That time is Now’ with KPMG Ireland supported by Project Dandelion. Almost 500 attendees gathered in Trinity Business School to listen to former President of Ireland and Chairperson of The Elders Mary Robinson. Mrs Robinson was the seventh president of Ireland and the country’s first female president from 1990 to 1997. Following this period as Ireland’s first citizen Mrs Robinson was appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights by Kofi Annan. Today Mrs Robinson is Chairperson of The Elders* and co-founder of which is a woman-led campaign for climate justice calling on woman across the globe to unite in action for a climate safe world.

Attendees at the event included Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Communications Eamon Ryan, Green Party TD for Dún Laoghaire Minister of State Ossian Smyth and Trinity College Provost Linda Doyle. The audience were treated to a “fireside chat” with Mrs Robinson and the audience had the pleasure of being shown a preview of the documentary ‘Mrs Robinson’ which is based on the extraordinary life of the former President which will be released in cinemas on 23rd August.

Our Project Director Vanessa O’Connell, together with Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN) Ireland Chair and Associate Director at KPMG Ireland Jenna Davis, outlined the importance of a woman-led campaign for climate justice, setting the context for Michele Connolly’s conversation with Mary Robinson. Mrs Robinson highlighted the importance integrating sustainability into daily life choice is something that all attendees can embark upon. Furthermore, coming together as a collective in “Women’s Infrastructure Network” brings the energy and collective forum to share knowledge, skills and learnings and its essential to progress in a holistic and inclusive approach.

Mrs Robinson applauded the Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN) for taking the step, in creating a network, facilitating the potential for making valuable connections to create meaningful impact. Mrs. Robinsons final call to action was to make the climate and nature crisis important in your own life and imagine the world we are hurrying towards.

In her introductory speech Vanessa O’Connell emphasised the urgency of tackling global warming and the need for global co-operation;
‘Climate change is one of the key issues of our time and where an incredible amount of progress has been made, there is such a journey ahead and there are worries that we are moving backwards. It is also an issue that those who have contributed least to it, in vulnerable places in our world, are impacted most.’

The Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN) Ireland is part of a global supportive community, of both women and men, established to advance the careers of women professional in the infrastructure sector. If you work in infrastructure sector, please consider joining or volunteering with WIN.

RWE were proud to support this event and to bring a network of people together to make mature solutions for valuable and sustainable changes.

Thank you to everyone who attended the event, and Dublin Array looks forward future WIN Ireland events.