Creative Boardroom: Collaborate4Climate Exhibition will return to Belfast this month for the final iteration of this successful all-island programme,  supported through the Creative Ireland Shared Island Fund.

The exhibition will be on display at the Peter Froggatt Centre, Queen’s University from 23rd January until 20th February. The exhibition is open to the public to explore and be inspired by, from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Creative Boardroom: Collaborate4Climate is a pioneering, all-island initiative addressing the urgent challenge of climate change through creative collaboration and leadership. Led by The Institute of Directors (IoD) Ireland, The Institute of Directors Northern Ireland, and Creative Futures Academy, the first phase brought together chartered directors, students, designers, entrepreneurs and innovators with the shared ambition to create actionable solutions for our planet. 

In 2025, new project partner Forvis Mazars joined to support the delivery of phase two of Creative Boardroom: Collaborate4Climate and the launch of the ‘Creative Climate Conversations Guide’ which aims to spark discussion on how climate action can be embedded into strategic decision-making and how design thinking tools can help to facilitate these conversations.

This phase saw the Collaborate4Climate Exhibition tour the Island of Ireland, opening at Belfast Grand Central Station in August 2025. Designed using sustainable design principles, and bringing into focus the core challenges for Ireland’s climate responsibilities, the exhibition toured 13 partner locations through 2025 and into 2026, building awareness and making this story public. This exhibition seeks to raise awareness and support real behaviour change within organisations. The exhibition on display at Queen’s University is the final interaction on view to the public as part of the 2nd phase in this all-Ireland programme.

As one of the leading universities across the UK and Ireland, Queen’s University recognises the critical role in addressing the environmental impact of complex systems such as climate change, biodiversity, transport and mobility, the built environment, agriculture, and food. Through this exhibition, Queen’s aims to inspire action and drive meaningful change across the campus supporting students and staff to create innovative solutions to address the environmental challenges faced and build a more sustainable future. The exhibition will coincide with the hosting of the Sustainability Student Summit on 27 January and the NI Science Festival from  30 January – 22 February on the Queen’s Campus.

“This all-island partnership reflects the power of cross-border collaboration, and we’re excited to bring the exhibition to such meaningful venues like Queen’s University – sparking dialogue and inspiring action on sustainability across diverse sectors and communities.” – Louise Allen, Director of Creative Futures Academy. 

‘Our 2030 Strategy and Net Zero Plan set out our ambition to Shape a Better World – not only through world-leading research and education, but also through our role as a social and civic leader in the transition to net zero in Northern Ireland and across the island of Ireland. In a time of significant global political and societal change, we believe it is imperative to reaffirm our support for actions that enable people to live more sustainable lifestyles.’ – Sara Lynch, Head of Sustainability, Queen’s University Belfast. 

A digital version of this exhibition is available on our website. For more information visit: www.creativeboardroom.collaborate4climate.ie

To find out more about the work Queen’s University are doing go to : https://www.qub.ac.uk/about/sustainability/

• Ireland’s Shared Climate Crisis: How are we doing on a comparative global scale?
• Sustainability Pillars: The Built Environment, Mobility and Transport, Consumables, Agriculture  and Food.
• Where will you make change? – Interactive panel
• Ireland’s Circle Economy
• Examples of Students projects

• Between 2002 and 2022, the island of Ireland experienced a 26% increase in population
• Northern Ireland needs to build 100,000 new homes by 2039 to accommodate its growing population
• 64% of Northern Ireland’s population lives in an urban area.
• In Northern Ireland, an estimated 27,000 tonnes of textiles are discarded annually, with about 533 tonnes thrown away each week. A significant portion, around 30%, of this textile waste ends up in landfills.