60+ Climate Drive – Jacinta Barrins

Description

In 2023, Jacinta founded the 60+ Climate Drive, a grassroots initiative aimed at engaging older adults in meaningful climate action. Over the past year and a half, she has travelled extensively across Galway city and county—and beyond— reaching out to retirement groups, carers’ networks, Men’s Sheds, Women’s Groups, Active in Age collectives, and a broad range of community and voluntary groups.

Her key message resonates deeply: the over-60s are a powerful demographic within Irish society. Many in this age group were raised with values of frugality, repair, reuse, and low-waste living—long before these became buzzwords of the sustainability movement. Through Jacinta’s work, this generation is being empowered to return to and reframe those practices through a modern climate lens.

Jacinta’s six-week Climate Action Course has been delivered to groups across County Galway and in several other counties. The course demystifies climate change, explains the science in accessible terms, and offers practical, actionable advice on reducing carbon emissions—right down to everyday choices. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many participants reporting a clearer understanding of climate issues and a stronger motivation to act.

What makes Jacinta’s efforts even more remarkable is her commitment to sustainable travel. She often journeys long distances via public transport, even when it takes her several hours and multiple connections, as was the case with her course in Carlow town.

Jacinta’s volunteerism, leadership, and unwavering commitment to environmental and climate education make her an outstanding candidate for this award. She is mobilising a demographic that is often overlooked in climate discourse and proving that climate action is ageless. Her work is not only raising awareness but also driving real change in communities across Ireland.

Aim of Initiative

Jacinta explains the science behind climate change in a way that is easy to understand and showcases behavioural change models to illustrate the barriers people face. The participants of her talks and course usually sign up to one action that they will undertake to reduce their carbon footprint. Jacinta explains to the group the power of collective conversations about climate change. In the words of a participant on the course in Oranmore “the course has changed my life – I have learned all about my personal carbon footprint and have taken many actions to reduce my carbon emissions and my household consumption of electricity and fossil fuels have reduced dramatically. My awareness and behavioural habits are now focused to more climate friendly actions – Jacinta is a true advocate for promoting climate action and environmental change”.

Who is it aimed at

Over 60’s

3 Steps critical to success

1. The method of “encouraging” older age groups to join a climate course: Involvement of Climate Action Team, Age Friendly Programme and PPN who identify target groups and communities including those with actions under Community Climate Action Fund. They work hard using soft power to “persuade/coax “older members especially those who would not normally join a climate conversation, on the benefits of attending the six-week climate course
2. The content of the course: The content is simple, non threatening, factual, with lots of every day relatable examples and above all it is interactive. It explains what is climate change in simple every day language like what is the relationship between the cup of tea or having a shower and climate change. Jacinta takes the participants on a journey, from learning what is climate change, to understanding why it is an issue, to why should individuals and others act. The journey ends with the participants taking an action and sharing their results, thereby demonstrating their willingness to change their behavior for a good cause. Jacinta has witnessed again and again with delight how the six week course has helped people change their behavior.
3. Delivering the course in a safe and informal environment: Jacinta works hard to create a warm engaging environment, from looking at the seating arrangements, to where she sits or stands in a session. She has lots of experience from her former career in the UN and she is mindful that learning is not just about acquiring knowledge; it’s also about how that knowledge makes the participant feel. She strives to keep sessions light hearted, with a positive relaxed atmosphere that encourages participants to ask many questions. She believes in the power of reflection and starts each session with a nice interactive recap of earlier sessions. She uses the tea break for networking, discussion and “friendship” making.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. How to encourage 60+ to attend climate talks/ course: Jacinta Is constantly thinking of new ways to create the interest amongst the over 60s to want to engage on the topic of climate change and to create their willingness to change current behaviors to reduce climate change. Jacinta has found that many (not all) think they have worked hard all their lives and do not want to be bothered with change in their retirement. Many believe that addressing climate change is the responsibility of others. This is the type of participant that Jacinta wants to participate in the climate course. Hence the critical role that Climate teams and Age Friendly teams play are doing in “persuading coaxing” people to attend. Their positive contribution is vistal to the sustainability of the course.
2. How to measure success of the 60+ Climate Course: Jacinta has witnessed so many success stories in the course she has given not only in Galway but in the other seven counties. She would like to engage a university to carry out research to examine why the course has been so successful, what has contributed to this success, including examining facilitation methods, course content, behavioral model used, etc. However, she has no resources for such research. Jacinta gives all her talks and courses voluntarily. Climate and Age Friendly teams pay for venues and the cup of tea. It may be challenging to sustain this going forward.
3. How to upscale: Jacinta gives all her talks and courses voluntarily. Her aim it to reach out to all counties by end of 2026. She is hoping that as the word spreads on the success of her course that many more will want to take it. Hence, she would like that many communities in each county take the course. This will require lots of discussion and collaborations.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Increased attentiveness by individuals on how their daily actions are contributing to climate change and a real commitment to seek out alternative ways to do the actions so as to reduce their carbon footprint. For example: take a bus or walk 3 days a week instead of taking the car; reduce the temperature in the house to 21 degrees and add additional clothing if cold; or reduce food and plastic waste.

   Over 60s have the motivation, knowledge and confidence to use their voice to create change in their communities.

2. Individuals are motivated to engage at community level in projects that demonstrate actions that held to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, promote sustainable development while also bringing health benefits to communities. They are now influencers encouraging others into action.

   Jacinta has delivered the 60+ Climate Drive Course to multiple groups in Galway and seven other counties. In addition, she has given climate talk to over 25 communities in Galway including Men’s Shed, Tidy Towns, Women’s Sheds, Age Friendly, Active Retirement groups amongst others.

3. Strategic contribution at County Level to implementation of Climate Action Strategy and Age Friendly Strategy by encouraging civic participation of older people in climate action.