With almost 40,000 passengers passing through the Irish Rail station on a daily basis, Connolly Station offers a wonderful opportunity to showcase the work that has already been undertaken within the programme, through a new iteration of the exhibition, designed using sustainable design principles, and bringing into focus the core challenges for Ireland’s climate responsibilities – food, transport, textiles and the built environment, in an accessible and impactful way. Within this exhibition there is a unique focus on where Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail is making change.

Iarnród Éireann is Ireland’s national passenger and freight rail service operator and infrastructure company, as well as being Port Authority for Rosslare Europort. Iarnród Éireann is the backbone of a public transport network that prioritises sustainable mobility for our citizens, visitors, communities and companies. They place sustainability not only at the heart of the service and infrastructure that they deliver, but also at the heart of how they deliver them. A sustainable national transport system, with a railway network playing a pivotal role, raises the quality of life.

Iarnród Éireann is delighted to showcase the Creative Boardroom: Collaborate4Climate at Connolly Station. By engaging with the exhibition, our customers can play a transformative role in shaping Ireland’s sustainable future.

-General Facts: Road transport accounts for almost 95% of all transport emissions with passenger cars responsible for around 50% of all road transport emissions. A typical train from Cork to Dublin replaces 90 cars on Irish roads and saves 1.6 tonnes of CO2 for every journey. Converting existing trains to alternative fuel sources such as electrification and biofuels presents even greater CO2 savings. – Department of Transport, Your Journey Counts Campaign

-Alternative Power Sourcing:  Moving from diesel to alternative power sources or biofuel will deliver the necessary short and longer term carbon emission reductions to achieve net zero by 2050 in the rail sector. When Iarnród Éireann converted its on track maintenance vehicles to HVO fuel it resulted in noise level reduction and a 90% reduction in emissions on site – Iarnród Éireann Sustainability in Motion Strategy

–Circular Economy Principles: Iarnród Éireann Train Component Repair Shop is saving an average of €5.5m annually by performing in-house repairs. Over 2,700 components are repaired annually from small value (€25) up to larger value (€70,000-80,000). – Iarnród Éireann Sustainability in Motion Strategy

-Water Savings:Iarnród Éireann achieved a 15% reduction in water usage in 2024 through monitoring of water usage and addressing leaks. In addition, a rainwater harvesting system was integrated into the design of a new 130-metre-long roof at Portlaoise Depot, with the ability to capture 30,000 litres of water which can be used in turn for train washing. – Iarnród Éireann, Annual Report, 2024

• Barry Kenny – Corporate Communications Manager, Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail.
• Joanne Bissett – Arts and Social Officer, Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail.
• Pace Borza Butterly from the Creative Futures Academy.
• Cllr. Janet Horner, Dublin City Council.

Credit: Leah Farrell, Photocall Ireland

Creative Boardroom: Collaborate4Climate was funded through the Creative Ireland Climate Action and Shared Ireland funds. It is delivered by Creative Futures Academy under the auspices of the National College of Art & Design (NCAD) and Dun Laoghaire Institute Of Art Design + Technology (IADT) in partnership with The Institute of Directors (IoD) Ireland and The Institute of Directors Northern Ireland with new project partner, Forvis Mazars.

Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Tom Johnson House:  24 November – 5 December.

Turner and Townsend, Dublin: 8 December – 31 January.

ESB HQ, Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin: 16 December – 16 January.

Queens University Belfast: 23 January – 13 February.