TU Dublin Climate Challenge Delivers Carbon Savings
Students and staff of Technological University Dublin has successfully concluded its Climate Challenge campaign in conjunction with Global Action Plan, running from November 11 to 24, achieving significant environmental impact and community engagement. Over the two-week initiative, participants collectively saved 5,578 kg of CO₂e, equivalent to the amount absorbed annually by more than 113,000 m² of trees.
The challenge saw forty seven members of the TU Dublin community logging sustainable action daily. The members spanned fourteen teams and logged 5,698 activities, averaging 407 actions per day. Each participant contributed an average saving of 160.5 kg CO₂e, demonstrating the power of small, consistent changes.
Top-performing teams included:
- Ariele’s Student Team – 221.02 kg CO₂e saved
- Charlie’s Student Team – 165.41 kg CO₂e saved
- Climate Heroes (Staff team) – 131.27 kg CO₂e saved
The most popular eco-friendly actions were simple yet impactful: avoiding unnecessary printing (logged 363 times), switching off lights (338 times), and recycling waste (317 times). Other frequent actions included reducing disposable container use and preventing food waste.
The campaign also aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with thousands of activities tagged under key SDG categories, reinforcing TU Dublin’s commitment to global sustainability targets.
If scaled nationally, similar initiatives could cut Ireland’s consumption-based emissions by nearly half—underscoring the profound impact of collective action. The findings highlight that when individuals act together, the results are transformative, paving the way toward a more sustainable future.