Sustainability Summit.
Leading the Green Transition.

Skillnet Climate Ready Academy Summit 2026.

Reserve your Seat:

Join us on Wednesday 11th November at The Alex Hotel in Dublin. 
Note: The €50 ticket fee will be fully refunded to attendees. This fee is charged to facilitate venue capacity planning and reduce food waste.

CPD Accredited:

Officially accredited by The CPD Group, attendees will receive 6 CPD credits to support their ongoing professional growth.

Register Now

Skillnet Climate Ready Academy Summit 2026

The Skillnet Climate Ready Academy Summit 2026 returns on Wed 11th November 2026 at The Alex Hotel in Dublin, focused on the critical theme of ‘Building Climate Ready Businesses: The Role of AI, Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing World’.

This CPD accredited event will focus on the growing need for businesses to build the skills and organisational capabilities required to adapt to a changing climate, strengthen resilience and maintain competitiveness.

Skillnet Climate Ready Academy Summit 2026

Summit 2026 Speakers & Panellists

An exceptional line up of guest speakers and panellists

Mark Jordan
Mark Jordan,
CEO, Skillnet Ireland.

Alan Duffy
Alan Duffy,
Board Chair & Non-Executive Director and former European Head of Sustainable Finance & Transition at HSBC Bank plc.

Dr. Rachel Sheehan
Dr. Rachel Sheehan,
Sports Psychologist with the Mayo Football Team

Heidi Hopper Duffy
Heidi Hopper Duffy,
Chief Sustainability Officer, Irish Rail.

David McKenna
David McKenna,
Head of Sustainability, John Paul Construction.

Samatha Arcega
Samatha Arcega,
Sustainability Lead, Doyle Shipping Group.

Mary Cronin
Mary Cronin,
Tutor, Skillnet Climate Ready Academy

Karen Keane
Karen Keane,
Co-founder, Bean & Goose.

Sonia Camelia Cozma
Sonia Camelia Cozma,
Head of Operations, Westermo Ireland.

Andrew Darmody
Andrew Darmody,
General Manager, Voya.

Ian Ryan
Ian Ryan,
Energy Manager, Wyeth Nutrition.

Ken Stockil
Ken Stockil,
CEO, 20FIFTY Partners

Ken Whitelaw
Ken Whitelaw,
Sustainability Manager, IDA Ireland.

Eoin McDonnell
Eoin McDonnell,
Head of Strategic Partnerships, Skillnet Ireland.

Ross O'Colmain
Ross O'Colmain,
Head of Sustainability Solutions, Enterprise Ireland.

Experience the 2025 Sustainability Summit in Video.

Alumni Perspectives:
Risks and Resilience.

A highlight of the event was our alumni panel discussion. Graduates of the Academy detailed their unique sustainability journeys, sharing the climate vulnerabilities they navigated and the adaptive resilience they developed within their organisations. They demonstrated how the tools and frameworks gained through our programmes are being used to mitigate environmental impact across diverse sectors.

  • Alumni Perspectives
  • Alumni Perspectives
  • Alumni Perspectives
  • Alumni Perspectives
  • Alumni Perspectives

Celebrating Excellence.

The Summit concluded with a graduation ceremony for those completing the NFQ Level 7 in Sustainable Resource Management and our specialised Micro-credential programmes. This was a celebration of the leaders making Irish businesses more resilient, competitive, and ready to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

  • Celebrating Excellence
  • Celebrating Excellence
  • Celebrating Excellence
  • Celebrating Excellence
  • Celebrating Excellence
  • Celebrating Excellence
  • Celebrating Excellence
  • Celebrating Excellence
  • Celebrating Excellence

Summit 2026 Agenda

  • 8.30am – 9.00am       Registration and Networking.
  • 9.00am – 9.10am        Welcome – Philip Boucher Hayes, MC.
  • 9.10am – 9.30am        Keynote – Mark Jordan, CEO, Skillnet Ireland.
  • 9.30am – 10.00am     In conversation with  Alan Duffy, Board Chair & Non-Executive Director. Former European Head of Sustainable Finance & Transition, HSBC Bank plc.
  • 10.00am – 10.15am    Launch of the Enterprise Climate Readiness Index – Maria Kelly, Skillnet Climate Ready Academy.
  • 10.15am – 10.40am    Panel 1 – Supporting Businesses to Adapt in Changing World:
    • Ken Stockil, Moderator, CEO, 20FIFTY Partners.
    • Ken Whitelaw, Sustainability Manager, IDA Ireland.
    • Eoin McDonnell, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Skillnet Ireland.
    • Ross O’Colmain, Head of Sustainability Solutions, Enterprise Ireland.
  • 10.40am – 11.00am   Coffee Break.
  • 11.00am – 11.30am    Panel 2 – Climate Change is Already Changing Business – Sectoral Impacts:
    • Mary Cronin, Moderator, Tutor, Skillnet Climate Ready Academy.
    • David McKenna, Head of Sustainability, John Paul Construction.
    • Heidi Hopper Duffy, Chief Sustainability Officer, Irish Rail.
    • Samatha Arcega, Sustainability Lead, Doyle Shipping Group.
  • 11.30am – 12.00pm   In conversation with – Rachel Sheehan, Sports Psychologist, Mayo Football Team 2026.
  • 12.00pm – 12.30pm  Panel 3 – How are Businesses Responding:
    • Patrick Meskell, Moderator, Skillnet Climate Ready Academy.
    • Karen Keane, Co-founder, Bean & Goose.
    • Sonia Cozma, Head of Operations, Westermo Ireland.
    • Ian Ryan, Energy Manager, Wyeth Nutrition.
    • Andrew Darmody, General Manager, Voya.
  • 12.30pm – 12.50pm  Graduation.
  • 12.50pm – 1.00pm    Closing Remarks.
  • 1.00pm – 2.00pm     Networking Lunch.