Minister Eamon Ryan to make keynote address at Cop On climate-action music festival

The Green Party leader will join the two-day event at TU Dublin’s Grangegorman grounds on Saturday where Irish group Kila, DJ Nialler9 and indie-pop duo 49th & Main are among the musicians due to perform.

“I am delighted to be involved with the Cop On Festival. Its name says it all. We have to cop-on together to rapidly reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” said Minister Eamon Ryan.

“This year alone, we’ve seen raging heatwaves, monsoons, floods, hurricanes and the catastrophe of another failed harvest in the Horn of Africa.

“We have to understand that decisions and actions in our part of the world are already having a devastating impact on poorer regions of the world.

“I’m looking forward to discussing what we are doing in Ireland to take real climate action, how we are supporting other countries through international climate finance and my hopes for COP27. Our collective actions at a local and global level is where we can make the greatest difference.”

The festival, which will be hosted by RTÉ presenter and climate activist Fionnuala Moran, is organised by the humanitarian organisation Concern Worldwide.

Its overseas staff are currently responding to climate catastrophes in some of the world’s poorest countries like the recent floods in Pakistan.

Cop On starts at 6pm on Friday with an outdoor cinema screening of ‘Some Like It Hot’ and continues the following day from 10am with plenty of music, comedy, public talks and other activities.

Festival attendees will be able to submit climate action ideas for world leaders, which will be brought to the UN’s COP27 climate change conference in Egypt this November by Concern’s Climate Youth Ambassador Jennifer Salmon.

The 20-year-old, from Bray in Wicklow, will also speak at the festival.

“We are delighted to have Minister Ryan join us at the inaugural Cop On music festival,” said Concern's Head of Active Citizenship, Michael Doorly.

“Our youth ambassador, Jennifer Salmon, will be taking messages for world leaders from our festivalgoers and will bring them to COP27 where the fate of many are in the hands of the decision makers attending that conference.

“We named the festival Cop On because of this link with COP27 and because it is time for the world to really cop on to the climate change reality many are experiencing today from flooding in Pakistan to droughts in Somalia and other countries.

“This festival is about communities, local and global, who've turned fear into action, but just as importantly it's about reminding governments who'll be at COP27 how much more they need to do.”

An exhibition by an organisation called Stories of Change will also be highlighting positive actions people in Ireland are doing to improve the environment.

“Cop On is about making sure that the voice of our youth is heard at COP27,” added Peter O’Brien, the founder of Happenings, a sustainability-focussed event organisation that has helped Concern organise the festival.

“We are fighting for their future with great music, culture and well-being for all life, present and future."

Anyone interested in attending the free Cop On festival is asked to register at copon.ie.

ENDS

For more information or interview requests, please contact Kevin Jenkinson at kevin.jenkinson@concern.net.