Jimmy D’Arcy, GAA Sustainability & Youth Leadership Manager, and Padraig Fallon, Chair of the GAA Green Club Steering Group, at the SDG Champions launch.
The GAA has been appointed by Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, as one of Ireland’s champions to help progress the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
26 organisations were selected as part of the 2023-2024 SDG Champions Programme, to raise public awareness of the SDGs and to demonstrate that everyone in society can make a contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The role of an SDG Champion is to act as an advocate and promoter of the SDGs and provide good practice examples of how an organisation can contribute to the SDGs and integrate them into their work and activities.
Of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, the GAA has been award SDG Champion Status for Goals 3 - Good Health & Wellbeing, 4 – Quality Education, 15 - Life on Land and 17 - Partnerships.
Speaking about the launch, Minister Ryan said: “We are facing major challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, with unprecedented pressures on our planet, economy and society, as well as the impacts brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now is the time to accelerate action towards achieving the goals, to build back better while leaving no-one behind.
“The SDG Champions Programme recognises that the SDGs are for everyone and that everyone can make a contribution to their success. Over 80 organisations applied to take part in the programme this year, underlining the readiness of Irish society to assist in ensuring that Ireland becomes a global leader in achieving the goals. Achieving the SDG targets by 2030 is a collective task that cannot be accomplished without partnership.”
SDG Champions pictured with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD.
Jimmy D’Arcy, GAA Sustainability & Youth Leadership Manager, said: "The GAA is committed to developing healthy and sustainable communities. Good health and wellbeing are directly linked to participation in physical activity and meaningful social engagement. We offer opportunities for both through quality coaching and initiatives delivered by our Community & Health Department, such as the Irish Life GAA Healthy Club Programme and the Green Club Programme.
“Our Coach Education and Officer Development Programmes as well as our mainstream education programmes like the GAA Future Leaders Transition Year Programme seek to provide lifelong learning opportunities for our members.”
Padraig Fallon, Chair of the GAA Green Club Steering Group, added: ‘With GAA, LGFA or Camogie Clubs in almost every community across the island, we are very conscious of our impact on the physical environment and we are endeavouring to work in harmony with our surroundings to support biodiversity and life on land. We published our GAA Green Club Toolkit recently which contains a library of resources to help Clubs implement sustainability activities under 5 thematic areas; Energy, Water, Waste, Biodiversity and Transport.”
The GAA Green Club Toolkit is freely available to all our members at https://learning.gaa.ie/greenclub. The Toolkit was developed with our partners in local government, the Climate Action Regional Offices (CAROs) and expert input from organisations and agencies across the island of Ireland, including the SEAI, Action Renewables, LAWPro, Irish Water, NI Water, the Regional Waste Management Offices, the National Biodiversity Data Centre, RSPB NI, the NTA, the RSA, Keep NI Beautiful and Sustainable NI.
The Healthy Club and Green Club Programmes are examples of how through building partnerships with other stakeholders at all levels of the Association, the GAA endeavours to embed sustainable development concepts and practices throughout the organisation.
Padraig Fallon, continued: “Our Clubs have been innovators in addressing many of Ireland’s social concerns and as such we are delighted to be recognised as a leader in society for the implementation of the SDGs.”
The 26 SDG Champions for 2023/2024 Champions are:
· An Post
· An Taisce
· AONTAS
· Ballyhoura Development CLG
· Chambers Ireland
· Clare County Council
· Development Perspectives
· ECO-UNESCO
· Football Association of Ireland (FAI)
· Failte Ireland
· Fair Seas
· Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)
· Irish League of Credit Unions
· Iarnrod Eireann – Irish Rail
· Jiminy Eco Toys
· Macra na Feirme
· Musgrave
· National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI)
· Peter McVerry Trust
· RTE
· Rush Tidy Towns
· Sustainable Life School
· TESCO Ireland
· The Heritage Council
· TIER Mobility
· University of Galway