A HIGH-LEVEL conference on sustainable development and civic engagement was organised by a group led by West Cork man Cillian Lohan.
Cillian Lohan, who is originally from Clonakilty but currently living in Skibbereen, facilitated the conference entitled Civil Society driving the EU sustainability agenda.
As president of the European Economic and Social Committee’s (EESC) Civil Society Organisations’ Group since October 2025, Cillian said: ‘We wanted to connect local communities and their civil society organisations with the EU.’
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Cillian has been member of the EESC since 2015 and served as CEO of the Green Economy Foundation. He is currently the president of the Civil Society Organisations’ Group, which is one of the three main groups that make up the EESC. And Cillian is due to be elected the third Irish Vice-President of the EESC.
The conference took place on June 30th at University College Cork, on the eve of the start of Ireland’s EU Council Presidency.
The take home from the conference is that the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) must continue to serve as the compass for Europe’s future well beyond 2030.
And that civil society organisations and policymakers must prepare for the end of the decade, when the SDGs should be strengthened, whilst the energy transition and the circular economy agenda must play a central role in this process.
Representatives of civil society, academia, and public authorities, as well as participants from across Europediscussed how civil society can help advance and shape sustainable development, strengthen democratic participation and support Europe’s long-term
resilience.
In his inaugural remarks, Cillian Lohan, president of the Civil Society Organisations’ Group, reaffirmed the group’s longstanding commitment to sustainable development and called for renewed ambition as Europe looks beyond the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
He stressed that sustainability remains essential not only for environmental protection, but also for economic prosperity, democratic resilience and strategic autonomy.
He said: ‘Public engagement and countering negative narratives on the energy transition are key. The aim of this conference was to give fresh momentum to the European sustainable development agenda at a time when sustainability policy is coming under increasing pressure, despite being urgently needed.
‘Our event also highlighted the role of local communities and civil society organisations in designing, implementing, and monitoring sustainability measures that make our communities more resilient.”
Professor John O’Halloran, UCC president, welcomed participants and highlighted the university’s commitment to addressing global sustainability challenges through research, education and engagement with communities.
Another Clonakilty man, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, the Minister of State for Biodiversity, also spoke at the event.
He underlined the importance of restoring nature and ensuring that Ireland is prepared to implement the EU Nature Restoration Law.
‘Delivering on the Nature Restoration Law is my top priority as Minister for Nature. I am currently working with colleagues across Government to put the necessary resources and supports in place so that Ireland is ready to grasp this once-in-a-generation opportunity and ensure we can all share in the benefits of a healthy, thriving natural environment,’ he stated.
