May Irish Third Level Students to Present Fast Fashion Project at International Climate Conference

Two NUI Galway students, Elizabeth Hunt and Harry King, are part of an Irish third level student team who will present their project on fast fashion at the Climate and Community Conference, hosted by The Institute of International and European Affairs and the Embassy of France In Ireland, on Thursday, 27 May.

The project entitled ‘Know your Label’ was created by a team of four students, Elizabeth Hunt and Harry King from NUI Galway, and Orla Murphy from DCU and Evan Mahony from UCD. The project came about in March this year when a Climathon volunteering event was organised, aided by the ALIVE Student Volunteering Programme in NUI Galway. At the end of a month-long project, teams from different universities around the country presented their ideas to a panel of judges, with the aim of coming up with an initiative around the areas of climate and sustainability.

Based on the UN Sustainable development goals 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 13 (Climate Action), ‘Know your Label’ is proposing to develop a label that can be placed on clothes to inform the consumer of its environmental impact. The team has designed a label with three key environmental metrics - water used, kilometres travelled, and energy used, that will be displayed with the aim of encouraging consumers and companies to operate more sustainably. They also propose to accompany the label with a barcode that will lead the consumer to an app, which will provide more detailed information around the product.

‘Know your Label’s’ spokesperson Orla Murphy will present the project to a panel with Inna Modja, Land Ambassador, UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, at the conference this Thursday at 11:15am.

Harry King, a third year Bachelor of Commerce (Global Experience), student at NUI Galway, said: “It has been a privilege and an honour to work with my team on the pressing issue of fast fashion. We are looking forward to the opportunity to have such high-profile figures hear our idea. I have learned so much and the project has ignited my passion for climate action in every walk of life. We hope our idea can have a positive impact in the fashion industry and encourage more transparency.”

Lorraine Tansey, ALIVE Student Volunteering Programme Manager at NUI Galway, said: “We are delighted across the campus to engage with the French Embassy to Ireland in support of their five-week programme for design thinking and innovation towards a sustainability project with a student focus on the campus environment. This national programme gives our students opportunities to connect with a wide variety of students, exposure to a world stage through an international conference and the confidence to make change for impact.”

The online event is open to the public. To register or for more information visit: https://bit.ly/3wwZj58.

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