Young climate activists from Co Donegal are among the all-island finalists selected to go through to this year’s ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA), taking place on May 8 in the Dublin Royal Convention Centre.
ECO-UNESCO has announced the YEA 2025 finalists today (22.04.25) to coincide with Earth Day which takes place every year on April 22.
Five schools from Donegal are among 102 finalists from across the island of Ireland to have succeeded at the semi-final ‘ECO-Dens’ stages of the YEAs last month (March) and who will now go on to showcase their shortlisted eco-projects at the YEAs this year.
They include:
- ‘Harnessing Donegal’s Coastal Wealth’, a project from St Columba’s Comprehensive School in Glenties, is through to the Energy Category of the awards. The group of young people are using Donegal seaweed to convert it into biodiesel through the transesterification method. Their goal is to create a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels.
- ‘Cli-Mates’, a project from Scoil Mhuire Secondary School, Buncrana, is through to the Waste Category of the awards. The group of young people identified the issue associated with batteries going to landfill and the untold damage that can be done in the future. They organised a school and community wide campaign to collect used batteries and have saved 6,000 batteries from being sent to landfill by recycling them effectively.
- ‘Smart Water Monitor’, a project from Loreto Convent in Letterkenny, is through to the Water Category of the awards. The group of young people focussed on improving water management by tackling issues like water contamination, leaks, and wasteful consumption. They raised awareness in their school by conducting workshops, surveys, and demonstrations to educate people about water quality and conservation.
The young people from Co Donegal will join over 1,000 young environmentalists from across Ireland for a day of celebration, inspiration, and climate action at the Young Environmentalist Awards.
ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards is an all-island programme that recognises the work of young people who are tackling key issues in relation to climate and biodiversity loss, taking environmental action in their school or community and coming up with creative solutions to solve environmental issues. Now in its 26th year, the YEA programme has reached people in every county of Ireland, with a total of over 65,000 young people participating and 6,000 projects entered down through the years.
Commenting on this year’s YEA finalists, Elaine Nevin, National Director, ECO-UNESCO said: “The projects that have made it through to this year’s Young Environmentalist Awards reflect the mission of Earth Day, the theme of which this year is ‘Our Power, Our Planet’ ─ a call to action highlighting the transformative power of renewable energy and its role in creating a more sustainable and equitable future. Earth Day 2025 encourages individuals, communities, and governments to take action by adopting renewable energy solutions, advocating for supportive policies, and participating in local and global initiatives. Through their projects, young people have taken the lead in raising awareness of critical environmental issues, inspiring change in their communities, and championing more sustainable lifestyles.
“I would like to wish our finalists from Donegal the best of luck for the awards, congratulate those who took part in our regional semi-final ECO-Dens, and thank all our funders who make this all possible every year. Each and every project that enters the awards deserves to be celebrated!”
Further information about the Young Environmentalist Awards is available online here.
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