The Chief Executive

Oisín joined Friends of the Earth as chief executive in 2005, and later that year launched the "Climate Pledge" campaign to get our political leaders to commit to Ireland doing its fair share to tackle climate change. In 2007 he co-founded the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition with organizations like Trócaire, Concern and NYCI, and led the 14-year campaign for a climate law which culminated in the passing of the 2021 Climate Act. He now leads Friends of the Earth's work to ensure that legal framework is translated into the transformative action required to eliminate Ireland's polluting emissions.

Oisín co-founded the Environmental Pillar of social partnership, the advocacy platform of national environmental NGOS in 2009, and still sits on its Steering Committee. He spent eight years to 2016 on the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) and four years to 2023 on the steering committee of Coalition 2030, the Irish civil society coalition championing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He now sits on the Board of the Irish Environmental Network.

Before joining Friends of the Earth, Oisín worked for 10 years in the areas of overseas aid and human rights. He was the founding coordinator of the Latin America Solidarity Centre in 1996, moved to Belize as a community organizer among immigrant banana workers and went on to become the Fresh Fruit Manager for Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International in Bonn. Oisín returned to Ireland in 2002 to become head of policy for Christian Aid, working on trade justice, aid policy and Israel/Palestine.

Oisín's primary degree was Sociology and Political Science in Trinity College Dublin and he has a Masters in International Relations from Dublin City University.

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