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UCC's main quadrangle building in the sunshine

UCC celebrates five Green Flags


UCC celebrated the award of it's fifth Green Flag from an Taisce at a special flag raising ceremony in the sunshine in Cork. UCC is the first University in the World to receive it's fifth Green Flag.


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Wild flowers with UCC campus in the background

Office of Sustainability and Climate Action


Winners of the 2022 Green Gown Sustainability Institution of the Year, Ireland & UK award and the Times Higher Education DataPoints Merit award combined with our Sustainability & Climate Action Plan 2023 - 2028, will further enhance UCC's reputation and performance as Ireland and the UK's "Green University".

Message from the President

At University College Cork,

we are proud to be recognised as a globally leading university for the actions we take to protect our environment and society. The Office of Sustainability and Climate Action within the President's Office at UCC will deliver and communicate the outputs of the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan 2023 - 2028 and will coordinate university-wide initiatives and programmes aimed at embedding an ethos of sustainability across the entire campus as we work towards creating a sustainable future.

Latest News

15 Dec 2025

SDSN Ireland Recognised as an SDG Champion

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network Ireland (SDSN Ireland), the all-island coalition of universities and NGOs has been officially recognised as a 2025–2027 SDG Champion by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE).  SDSN Ireland was launched in February of 2023 and is co-hosted by University College Cork (UCC) and Queen’s University Belfast
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05 Dec 2025

UCC ranked second in the world in global environmental ranking

University College Cork (UCC) is today ranked the second most sustainable university in the world, according to an assessment of 1,745 universities from 105 different countries around the world.
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RTÉ 1's Ten Things to Know About features Dr Maria Kirrane and UCC’s A Brush With Climate Project
10 Nov 2025

RTÉ 1 Monday 10 November - "A Brush with Climate" with Dr Maria Kirrane

Episode one of RTE 1's "Ten Things to Know About" explores why people resist change, from personal habits to community climate action. It utilises insights from behavioral science and real-world Irish examples to demonstrate how small, local shifts can have far-reaching impacts. This episode features Dr. Maria Kirrane and highlights the UCC project “A Brush with Climate,” engaging hairdressers in climate action to turn salons into hubs for climate conversation. 
Read on 10thingstoknowabout.ie
Professor John O'Halloran, author of The Irish Times Article, 6 November 2025.
06 Nov 2025

"COP30: As the window for meaningful action narrows fast, the stakes couldn’t be higher" Professor John O'Halloran, President.

Professor John O'Halloran, President of University College Cork, is the author of  ‘COP30: As the window for meaningful action narrows fast, the stakes couldn’t be higher. ’  published in The Irish Times today, 6 November 2025.
Read on irishtimes.com

Office of Sustainability and Climate Action

An Oifig um Inbhuanaitheacht agus Gníomhú ar son na hAeráide

Contact us

G.08 North Wing, Main Quadrangle, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork T12 K8AF,

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