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Latest Projects
Linking the Irish Environment: The aim of the ‘Linking the Irish Environment’ project is to examine how to enable the environment sector across the island of Ireland to cooperate and engage on an all-island and cross-border basis to deal with shared environmental challenges, risks, and opportunities.
Access to Justice Observatory: Accessing Justice at EU and National Level EJNI’s Access to Justice Observatory project has the object of screening legislative developments at EU and national level for compliance with the access to justice requirements of the Aarhus Convention.
Climate Governance Observatory: What’s the problem? The EU’s decision to commit to achieve climate neutrality in 30 years at the latest transforms the magnitude and complexity of the challenge posed to Europe’s climate architecture.

About

‘To advance environmental justice for a peaceful society, a healthier democracy, the rights of nature and a sustainable economy.’

The Environmental Justice Network Ireland (EJNI) is a community of practice connecting interdisciplinary academic researchers, NGOs, regulatory staff, environmental lawyers, representatives from industry and government with community activists and the ‘barefoot lawyers and planners’ who have emerged over the last decade on the island of Ireland in response to serious environmental governance failures. EJNI’s aim is to support communities and individuals that are engaged in both promoting environmental justice and challenging environmental injustice through enhancing knowledge about complex environmental and legal issues that exist on the island of Ireland. 

Steering Group

Dr Ciara Brennan

Dr Ciara Brennan is the Director of EJNI. Ciara has a particular interest in environmental justice and environmental governance in post-conflict societies, climate governance and access to justice. In her capacity as Director and co-founder of EJNI, Dr Brennan has undertaken extensive project management and co-authored multiple reports, policy notes and technical briefings which deal with wide-ranging environmental law and governance issues on the island of Ireland and across Europe. Contact: ciara@ejni.net

Dr Ciara Brennan

Caitlin Mcilhennon

Caitlin Mcilhennon is the Research and Policy Coordinator for EJNI with a Law and French degree from University College Cork (BCL) and a master’s degree in Environmental and Climate Law from University College Dublin (MSc). She leads on our Manual of Environmental Justice project, EJNI Communications, and is a legal & policy researcher for the Climate Governance Observatory project concerning: Strategic Climate Litigation, EU Policymaking and National Framework Climate Laws. Contact: caitlin@ejni.net

 

Caitlin Mcilhennon

Shea Anderson

Shea Anderson is the Research Assistant for Environmental Justice Network Ireland. He has a Law degree from Queen's University Belfast and has carried out research concerning: a needs assessment for the Manual of Environmental Justice, Rights of Nature Council Motions, Strategic Climate Litigation on the Island of Ireland and is now engaged in research regarding planning litigation. He has previously worked with Friends of the Earth in performing legal research regarding the environmental protection powers of local governments in NI. Contact: shea@ejni.net

Shea Anderson

Alison Hough

Alison Hough BL worked a legal researcher, then practiced as a barrister for 8 years, before becoming a law lecturer with Athlone IT. While lecturing Environmental, Health and Safety Law, Contract Law, Constitutional Law, Equity, and Land Law. Alison has a track record of peer reviewed publications in environmental law journals on the topic of the Aarhus Convention, and on Brexit. She is An Taisce’s Representative on ELIG Bureau (a governmental advisory body examining environmental law implementation in Ireland), and volunteers with a variety of local organisations including AIT FLAC, Westmeath Climate Action Network (WECAN), and New Horizon Refugee Advice and Support.  Alison is interested in pursuing collaborative projects in the area of cross-border public participation, and cross-border environmental governance.

For a full list of publications see here.

Alison Hough

Phil Lock

Phil Lock is a cyber security consultant with 20 years experience in messaging infrastructure, networking and email authentication. He helps EJNI with operations, infrastructure and email. He has a keen interest in environmental protection and justice in Ireland.

Phil lock