A Sustainable Snapshot of Cobh: Local Action, Global Implications
Description
Where better than your own home country to start exploring something that is very close to one’s heart? And I believe to lots of people’s hearts when they start to think about it. At Constructive Voices, we’re not only exploring the obvious parts of the built environment.
“In fact, we’re digging a bit deeper. And connecting the people and their places together, because this is what it’s all about.” Jackie De Burca
How the environment affects us every single day with our health in mind, with how our daily activities are able to be conducted. There’s just a whole host of things that our environment brings to us or perhaps makes more difficult for us.
So tune in to Jackie De Burca as she speaks with Stephen Barrett. He’s the program manager for the Whole Life Carbon Programme at the Irish Green Building Council, and he is going to talk to us about Cobh, which is a picturesque Irish town just outside Cork.
Stephen has planted his roots there for the moment, and now he questions some aspects of the area, such as development.
Biodiversity transport and community pride and how this area Cobh and Cork in general can shape a more sustainable way forward. This episode touches on subjects such as underused train lines to cruise ship impacts, and the local lens that Stephen sees on global challenges.
“What struck me moving from the UK to Ireland is how undervalued Tidy Towns is—those people know their place better than anyone.” – Stephen Barrett on the untapped expertise within community-led groups
About Stephen Barrett, Programme Manager for Whole Life Carbon initiatives, Irish Green Building Council
Stephen joined the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) in 2020 and is currently Programme Manager for Whole Life Carbon initiatives.
He has contributed to several key European and national projects, including Level(s) – the EU framework for measuring the environmental performance of buildings – and the #BuildingLife campaign, aimed at aligning public policy and industry practices with Whole Life Carbon (WLC) goals.
Stephen led the UPFRONTCO2 and INDICATE projects and is currently managing IMPLEMENT, which focuses on mainstreaming WLC approaches.
He holds an MSc in Sustainability and Adaptation in the Built Environment and brings a strong background in data management, analysis, and visualisation.
What You Will Learn In This Episode
The whole-life carbon approach to buildings and infrastructure
How Cobh’s train line could hold the key to more sustainable living
The overlooked power of community groups like Tidy Towns
Concerns over woodland management and local biodiversity
Cruise tourism and its complex impact on small towns
What policymakers should be listening to—and acting on
“We had dolphins last summer… this year, they’re gone. If they came in looking for food, that’s not something to celebrate—it’s something to investigate.”– Stephen Barrett reflecting on changes in marine biodiversity around Cobh
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