Cuppa for Climate brings Climate Action to Earth Day

Climate conversation initiative to be launched in Bewley’s Café

Friends of the Earth, Ireland’s leading climate campaigning organisation, brings ‘Cuppa for Climate’ to Bewley’s Café, Grafton Street, Dublin, this Earth Day, 22nd April, to launch a new climate action initiative and to celebrate the climate movement. Cuppa for Climate is a coffee morning with a difference. It’s a chance for communities to get together to talk about the climate crisis and explore positive actions for change - while supporting the work of Friends of the Earth. On the day, guests will experience what a Cuppa for Climate is all about and will then be invited to go and host their own Cuppa for Climate in their community or workplace.

Claudia Tormey, event organiser and fundraiser for Friends of the Earth, said:

“Cuppa for Climate is an invitation for communities to gather, chat and chip in for climate action. We want to help bring people together in their community around shared concerns for the planet and to inspire collective action. Coming together around climate action reminds us that we’re not alone in our worry and in our action. It’s a great way to combat our eco-anxiety.

“Cuppa for Climate is a great first step into climate action and it’s something anybody can get involved in. You don’t need to be an expert on the climate science to bring a Cuppa for Climate to your community or workplace. We’ve created a handy toolkit, which you can find on our website, to help people organise their Cuppa for Climate gatherings and we’re on hand to support people who want to get involved  at every step of the way too”

“A big part of a Cuppa for Climate is the climate conversation. Climate conversations are an effective way of taking action on climate - creating much needed space with our friends and families to express how we’re feeling about the climate crisis, talk about the solutions and explore pathways into action.”

Friends of the Earth is hosting its first Cuppa for Climate for its supporters this Earth Day to mark its 49th anniversary since the federation was brought to Ireland. The organisation is calling on communities across Ireland to join in and organise a Cuppa for Climate as a fun and nourishing way to take action on the climate crisis.

Oisín Coghlan, CEO of Friends of the Earth, said:

“The next phase for climate action is the ‘doing phase’, and it’s vital that community action is at the heart of this. This is where Cuppa for Climate comes in - it offers a space for communities to identify what changes are needed locally to tackle climate breakdown - this happens through the ‘climate conversation’ that takes place at a Cuppa for Climate. 

“We campaigned long and hard for the climate law, and the Climate Action Plan is finally in place. Now, we want to see this plan implemented in way that postively influences peoples’ lives. It’s time to see the fruits of our labour and we need communities to be involved in this.

“We have a very short window to act. We need to see bold climate action rolled out in every city, town and village across the country, and the only way that’s going to happen effectively is if communities demand it for the places they live. At Friends of the Earth, we are working to support communities in bringing their vision and demands to local authorities.”

Recent reports and opinion polls tell us that the vast majority of people in Ireland are aware, informed and concerned  about the climate crisis and that they want to see action to tackle it. Despite this, the level of action is not sufficient in meeting the scale of the problem facing us. Climate Conversations are a way to bridge this gap and can help encourage more people to take action on climate and increase the pressure on the Government and on local authorities who are in a position to implement the changes necessary to reduce emissions and tackle biodiversity loss.