AIB commits €10m investment to AIB Trinity Climate Hub

Posted on: 25 November 2024

Recognising the importance of quality education and innovation in solving global challenges and building a sustainable future for all, AIB is committing over €20m in new sustainability focused education and research initiatives, including €10m for the new AIB Trinity Climate Hub at Trinity College Dublin.  

The AIB Trinity Climate Hub will bring researchers together to address challenges around maintaining a stable and liveable climate, securing biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided by nature, adapting to climate change, and reversing water degradation.  AIB will be the lead industry partner supporting research on the solutions we need for the climate and nature crises and developing capacity for addressing these challenges through the AIB Climate Leaders programme.  Research will provide new ways of adopting and scaling up existing solutions, and enabling the rapid development of new ideas, technologies, social structures and economic tools needed for the transitions ahead. 

As a founding partner, AIB has also committed €10m to support world class PhD research through Innovate for Ireland, a public-private partnership and flagship initiative of Ireland’s Global Talent Strategy, designed to attract and retain world class talent undertaking research to meet the challenges of the future.  

AIB Chief Executive Colin Hunt (above with Dr Linda Doyle) said “Education and knowledge play a critical role in creating strong and resilient economies and societies. The transition to a low-carbon future creates real opportunities for learning and innovation. That’s why AIB is committing over €20 million to support quality education and research in this space.  The work undertaken by the AIB Trinity Climate Hub, alongside our partnership with Innovate for Ireland, will benefit society and shape a better future for us all.” 

Dr Linda Doyle, Provost and President of Trinity College Dublin, said “The scale and depth of our partnership with AIB will lead to truly meaningful impact in this critically important research area. It really is a strong investment in the future.  Rigorous academic research, which is at the heart of the AIB Trinity Climate Hub, is central to addressing the challenge of climate change. Such research feeds innovation, informs public policy and deepens public engagement.” 

Professor Yvonne Buckley, Director of the AIB Trinity Climate Hub, said “We are delighted to be working with AIB to build and train a community of researchers across academic disciplines to develop solutions to the climate, nature and water crises. Research will provide us with new ways of adopting and scaling up the solutions we already know about, and enable us to rapidly develop new ideas, technologies, social structures and economic tools needed for the transitions ahead of us. Education and research work hand-in-hand to develop the brilliant minds and solutions of the future.”

Karen Wiltshire, CRH Chair of Climate Science at Trinity, said: "We are delighted that especially Climate and Biodiversity Education at Trinity will be further strengthened by this commitment from AIB. Sustainability is a major operative fundament of this University. We are totally committed to providing excellent climate education and innovative and just solutions towards a climate-resilient and carbon-neutral future."

AIB’s 8th Annual Sustainability Conference took place today (Monday 25th November).  Environmentalist, entrepreneur and actor Edward Norton and Former President of Ireland, Chair of The Elders and Former UN Special Envoy on Climate Change Mary Robinson were headline speakers.  

Top picture shows (from left)  Dr Linda Doyle, Mary Robinson, AIB CEO Colin Hunt and Trinity's Prof. Yvonne Buckley at the conference

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