Announcement: Oisín Coghlan to step down as CEO of Friends of the Earth Ireland.

Friends of the Earth Board launches recruiting process for new CEO.

Friends of the Earth today announces that Oisín Coghlan has decided to step down as Chief Executive, after 20 years at the helm of Ireland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation.  Having started as the only employee, Oisín has built Friends of the Earth into an organisation which has a major impact on environmental and climate action in Ireland, employing 18 people and supporting the activism of thousands of members across the country.

 

Chair of the Board, Anna Pringle said:

“The Board of Friends of the Earth would like to thank Oisín for two decades of leadership on climate action. While we are sad to see him move on, we understand his desire for new challenges. Oisín is an extraordinary communicator on climate action with a deep policy understanding. Under his leadership, Friends of the Earth has driven the climate debate, through high-profile campaigns and quiet engagement that changed laws, improved policies and, perhaps most importantly, shaped how we think and speak about climate issues. A legacy that has helped lay the foundations for the transformation we need to contain climate breakdown.

“This work included the 14-year campaign led by Oisín for a strong climate law that culminated in the passing of the 2021 Climate Act; our Run on Sun campaign that resulted in the first payments to households for supplying electricity to the grid and the Government's solar schools programme; our support for the grassroots-led campaign to ban fracking, and the Sick of Plastic campaign that paved the way for the successful Deposit Return Scheme. 

“Oisin was hugely committed to joining forces to advance our campaigning goals, co-founding the Stop Climate Chaos coalition with overseas aid agencies, the Environmental Pillar with the likes of An Taisce and Birdwatch, the Irish Corporate Leaders’ Group on Climate with BITC with Vodafone and Just Transition Alliance with ICTU, SIPTU and Forsa. As well as chairing broad civil-society Coalition 2030 on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“It’s also a testament to Oisín that he has built Friends of the Earth into a very effective campaigning organisation and that there is a highly capable team in place to drive our priority campaigns forward.”

 

Commenting on his decision, Oisín said:

 

“It’s been an enormous privilege to work for Friends of the Earth for so long and my appetite for climate campaigning and communication is undimmed. But after 20 years as CEO, leading our campaigns and building our organisation, I feel it is an opportune time to step aside and allow new leadership build on these strong foundations. 

“I am immensely proud of the Friends of the Earth team who are tirelessly campaigning for faster and fairer climate action. And I will be forever grateful for all of our supporters, partners and allies.”

 

The Board has now launched a recruiting process to appoint a new CEO.

 

Anna added:  

“Friends of the Earth is one of the most influential campaigning organisations in the country and the role of CEO is a critically important leadership role. We will be looking for an inspiring leader who can both maintain our momentum and expand our impact as we campaign for meaningful action to address the climate emergency.”