Trinity student named in Top 30 Under 30 Environmental Educators in the World

Trinity PhD candidate Luke Gibbons has beenselected by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) as one of the Top 30 Under 30 Environmental Educators in the World 2024.

Luke was picked from a field of 234 nominations and is the only awardee from the European Union.

Luke will join a growing class of young leaders using environmental education to build more just and sustainable communities around the world.

Gibbons was selected on the back of a stellar record of promoting environmental education and research. Luke is an Irish Research Council Scholar and PhD Candidate at Trinity College Dublin and a former Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Researcher at Harvard Law School. His research focuses on company directors' duties and climate change risks.

Luke said: "While I am lucky to have had a number of achievements in my career thus far, this one feels particularly special as it acknowledges the positive contribution I am trying to make to future and current generations knowledge of the urgency to address the climate crisis". He further noted that "I don't do the research to win awards but it is nice to feel like the work is being recognised as worthwhile".

In February 2024, Luke's research was recognised across the Atlantic when he was named in the Top 40 Under 40 Irish in America, winning the People's Choice Award with 21,496 votes. Gibbons is also a Climate Reality Leader appointed by Former US Vice President Al Gore, a President Mary Robinson Climate Leader and an appointee to the European Energy Forum.

In December 2024, Luke will travel to New York City and represent Ireland at the Global Peace Summit with a mandate to discuss Ireland's potential role to influence the politics of climate change. He will also represent Ireland as part of the HISA Impact Cruise in Italy, Spain and France this September in a bid to encourage youth implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Luke's research has led to several publications, including "The Cancer of Climate Change Law" and "Striking the 'Right Balance' Between Credibility, Effectiveness, and Political Feasibility when Designing Multilateral Environmental Agreements." He has also presented at conferences such as the Irish Centre for European Law and Environmental Protection Agency Conference at Dublin Castle and the Mary Robinson Climate Conference 2024.

Gibbons also holds a First- Class Law Degree with a Gold Medal from Trinity and a BCL Masters in Law with Distinction from the University of Oxford where he graduated as the Honoré Scholar in Law. As a Company Law Seminar Lecturer at Trinity and Former Lecturer at Maynooth University, he teaches with an emphasis on sustainability, shaping the perspectives of future legal professionals.

Media Contact:

Catherine O'Mahony | Media Relations | [email protected]