Irish sport has taken a major collective step toward climate action with the launch of a new national sustainability toolkit at the Playing for the Planet Conference — an initiative shaped not in boardrooms, but in clubhouses across the country.
Moderating the session, Rob Hartnett introduced the panel by noting that the programme was “born from experience and hard work,” before welcoming Dr Míde Ní Shuilleabháinn, the architect of the GAA’s Green Club model; Paul Heffernan, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; and Roger Geraghty, Development Director at Tennis Ireland.
What followed was a lively, grounded conversation about how clubs, most of them volunteer-driven and time-poor, can take meaningful environmental action without being overwhelmed.
Built from the Ground Up
“The toolkit answers a simple need: people want to take climate action, but they worry about whether their steps will matter,” said Paul Heffernan, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment. He explained that the toolkit offers three clear components: guidance on identifying stakeholders, a menu of more than 60 practical actions, and a simple worksheet assigning responsibilities.
“It’s about getting clubs started, building momentum and removing fear,” he added.
Dr Ní Shuilleabháinn underlined the point, stressing the movement’s bottom-up nature. “It didn’t come from my mind at all,” said Dr Míde Ní Shuilleabháinn, GAA Green Clubs Programme. “It came from the clubs. They knew what was right for their community — they just needed a framework that saved time instead of consuming it.”
She recalled one early volunteer who told her the goal was simple: “I want to find out in 30 minutes what took me six months before.”
“That’s exactly what this toolkit is designed to deliver,” she said.
Other Sports Are Already On Board
Tennis Ireland saw an immediate opportunity. “Our pilot clubs went away inspired,” said Roger Geraghty, Development Director of Tennis Ireland. “They heard real stories, saw the draft toolkit and immediately wanted to start. And when the member surveys went out, new volunteers appeared — which is gold dust in any sport.”
The organisation now plans to embed sustainability inside its three-tier club development model and hopes to see all 200 clubs engaged within three to five years.
Small Steps, Big Impact
Hartnett pressed the panel on whether a toolkit of 60 actions might overwhelm some clubs. Ní Shuilleabháinn was definitive: “There’s no minimum,” she said. “Clubs aren’t being asked to save the planet. They choose what works for them. Two simple actions can still change culture.”
Heffernan added that the programme is deliberately adaptable. “It’s not a fixed government policy — it’s a response to club demand,” he said. “As needs evolve, this will evolve.”
The Department will fund a national training programme to support the rollout, with both online and onsite modules guiding clubs through real-world application.
A Movement, Not a Mandate
Sustainability in Irish sport is not a box-ticking exercise,it’s a cultural shift that clubs are ready for.
“We’re aiming for a tipping point,” said Paul Heffernan. “Once enough clubs take the lead, the rest will follow. Sport has always worked that way.”
As Hartnett closed the session, he echoed the mood in the room: an idea so simple and useful that people wondered why it hadn’t been there all along.
🔗 Toolkits
National Sustainable Sports Toolkit (DCEE)
Image Credits: DCCS Photocall
Further Reading for Sport for Business members:
Read our Sport for Business Coverage of Sustainability
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