The work of the Citizen Innovation Lab, led by University of Limerick, and Limerick City and County Council, was highlighted at the 79th United Nations General Assembly Science Summit in New York.
A team from UL and LCCC were invited to the Summit to share the Lab’s success in bringing together citizens, researchers, and local government towards innovative climate action in our city. The CIL team participated in a session with representatives from the office of the UN Secretary General and the New York Civic Engagement Commission.
As a member of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), the CIL team joined an ENoLL delegation showcasing the work of prominent European living labs specialising in climate action.
Limerick’s Citizen Innovation Lab was represented by University of Limerick’s Dr Madeleine Lyes, Living Lab Coordinator, and Javier Burón García, director of Fab Lab. They were joined by Limerick City and County Council’s Climate Action Officer, Kieran Reeves.
The team discussed the legacy and current activities of the Lab at the Science Summit and shared lessons learned from projects including:
·SMARTLAB – a living lab project currently working with participants from 70 Limerick city buildings with energy and environmental sensors installed.
·Síolta Glasa – a project using creative arts to engage communities in climate-focused activity.
·Clean Air Together Limerick City – a citizen science project in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recruiting 400 participants to record air quality in their local areas.
·City Studio – a new laboratory for citizens, local government and university collaboration. The studio is focused on the future of the city and the importance of design as a catalyst for Limerick’s climate action plan.
Dr. Madeleine Lyes says there was a positive exchange of information: “The Citizen Innovation Lab exemplifies how local government, academia, and citizens can come together to tackle climate challenges. At the Science Summit we were delighted to be able to take inspiration from living labs in other countries to further our mission of achieving a climate-neutral Limerick by 2050. The Summit also reinforced our confidence in the high standards of our CIL projects.”
Kieran Reeves added, “We were thrilled to present the innovative work of the Citizen Innovation Lab at the UN General Assembly Science Summit. Our projects demonstrate the power of community engagement and creative collaboration in driving meaningful climate action.”
During the trip, the team also visited the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations. They met with Dónal Cronin, originally from Limerick, who is now Deputy Permanent Representative at the Irish Permanent Mission in New York.
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