Orla Kelleher

Congratulations! 👏🏻

Join us for the latest research insights from the UCC Energy Policy and Modelling Group, focused on the themes of #ClimateAction and #EnergySecurity.

📅 Date: 15th December 2025
📍 Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Dublin
🔗 Register via Eventbrite (free)

On Environmental Democracy and the Collisons’ “Abundance-Verse” Andrew Jackson 21 November 2025 I. Introduction A clamour of praise greeted John Collison’s “how to get Ireland moving” Op-Ed following its publication in the Irish Times on 25th October: the Irish…

Late to this, excellent piece and factual rebuttal of John Collison’s ‘how to get Ireland moving’ by @andrewlrjackson.bsky.social

we should never take democracy or the rule of law for granted – they must be nurtured and defended by each generation…

elajucd.com/2025/11/21/o...

On Environmental Democracy and the Collisons’ “Abundance-Verse” Andrew Jackson 21 November 2025 I. Introduction A clamour of praise greeted John Collison’s “how to get Ireland moving” Op-Ed following its publication in the Irish Times on 25th October: the Irish…

I’ve written something on John Collison’s Op-Ed and environmental democracy

Next time you’re out in Dublin, check if you’re being “socially de-risked” by a friendly face from his think-tank

elajucd.com/2025/11/21/o...

Thanks Gavin!

Opinion: Beware of the judicial review red herring Dr Orla Kelleher pushes back against the narrative that judicial reviews are to blame for the housing crisis.

Dr Orla Kelleher pushes back against the narrative that judicial reviews are to blame for the housing crisis.

Delighted to be part of a wonderful team and leading the new @reveljmce.bsky.social. Lots to come in terms of activities (please follow us!) - for now: thanks to our wonderful colleagues @maynoothlaw.bsky.social; @muresearch.bsky.social for their invaluable support!

Looking forward to speaking about climate law & KlimaSeniorinnen alongside @orlakelleher.bsky.social on 13th November at the Law Soc’s annual Environmental and Planning Law conference.

Registration details here www.lawsociety.ie/productdetai...

Law professor: Diluting the Occupied Territories Bill would be a political choice more than a legal one Conor Crummey examines the Taoiseach’s comments that the Attorney General has advised that the bill in its current form would not be implementable.

I wrote a piece for @thejournal.ie about the govt's approach to the Occupied Territories Bill. I argue that diluting the OTB would be a political choice, not a legal requirement. The govt has so far tried to avoid defending this policy choice by making vague appeals to confidential legal advice.

WE'RE HIRING!

We are seeking a research assistant to work on the project: ’FEELING POLITICAL: A comparative investigation of the emotional politics of populist discourse on security’ led by Prof Claire Hamiliton

Deadline: 2 Nov

See: tinyurl.com/5n85hcab

Conor Crummey: The Principle of Legality, the Definition of ‘Terrorism’, and Palestine Action Two judgments have so far been handed down in the matter of R (Ammori) v Secretary of State for the Home Department; the challenge to the Home Secretary’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action as …

I wrote a piece for the @ukcla.bsky.social blog about the Palestine Action JR, mainly focusing on the claim that the proscription order was ultra vires. The court's approach to this, I argue, failed to take seriously the requirement that legislation be read in line with the principle of legality.

New article by @andrewlrjackson.bsky.social and myself in the IPELJ exploring the implications of the ECtHR's climate rulings where we think through what #KlimaSeniorinnen might mean for NGO standing, constitutional rights climate cases, fair-share carbon budgeting and more.

🚨 New publication: A policy briefing report on the adoption of temperature neutrality as the basis for Ireland's carbon budgets.

This Wednesday, I will discuss this, and more, with the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy.

👏 Orla is currently conducting engaged research on EU and Irish climate law on behalf of EJNI.

Check out this recent piece in the @irishlegal.com on why ambitious emission reduction targets and carbon budgets for 2040 are crucial for intergenerational climate justice 🎯✊

Short op-ed by me explaining the importance of ambitious 2031-2040 carbon budgets and EU 2040 targets for intergenerational climate justice. These are critical moments to level with the public about the scale of the emission reduction challenge.

@maynoothlaw.bsky.social @ejni.bsky.social

Opinion: Ambitious emission reduction targets and carbon budgets for 2040 crucial for intergenerational climate justice Dr Orla Kelleher of Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology calls on Ireland to show greater leadership and ambition on climate action.

Dr Orla Kelleher of Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology calls on Ireland to show greater leadership and ambition on climate action. @maynoothlaw.bsky.social‬ @orlakelleher.bsky.social‬

What If They Fixed It? A hypothetical, but not impossible story by Orlagh Gaynor, physiotherapist with Irish Doctors for the Environment, inspired by ideas from…

A beautiful story by our very own Orlagh Gaynor.

Climate action is about so much more than cutting emissions. A greener, more sustainable, and healthier future for all is possible 🌱

Please give it a read and share it with your friends and family 🌍

Quote: An obligation to quantify each country’s fair share of the remaining global carbon budget associated with limiting global heating to 1.5°C flows from the judgment in KlimaSeniorinnen.

How wide is the margin of appreciation that states have when setting national carbon budgets under the ECtHR’s KlimaSeniorinnen judgment? 🌍📉

@andrewlrjackson.bsky.social and @orlakelleher.bsky.social explain why the margin is narrower than argued on this blog.

verfassungsblog.de/quantifying-...

Constitutionalising Environmental Rights - attending launch of important research by @orlakelleher.bsky.social and Mary Dobbs in collaboration with @clmirl.bsky.social from @maynoothuniversity.ie

Exciting development for Irish climate law, the Supreme Court has granted leave to appeal Coolglass v An Bord Pleanála
courts.ie/viewer/pdf/4...

Ban fossil fuel ads: Stop airlines, airports, cars and cruise liners from advertising Members of Irish Doctors for the Environment outline why a push against fossil fuels is key to truly tackling the climate crisis.

We’ve breached 1.5ºC.

The climate crisis is an unprecedented health crisis — through air pollution, extreme weather, food insecurity, displacement, and more.

Fossil fuel ads are fuelling the fire. It’s time to ban them. #BanFossilAds

With global warming closing in on 1.5C, one aspect is clear: some countries' emissions have exceeded their fair share.

To deal with this, we present the concept of carbon debt in a new paper in @pnas.org.

Lead author @setupelz.bsky.social explains in a long thread 👇🧵

Short piece written w/ @orlakelleher.bsky.social for Rundale. We discuss the anti-democratic Planning and Development Act passed last year and consider its implications for movements seeking environmental justice in Ireland.

www.rundale.org/2025/03/27/o...

We have fantastic speakers lined up for our upcoming webinar on "Shaping a Fair and Effective Social Climate Plan for Ireland"🗣️

Last chance to register ➡️: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

“A colossal missed opportunity” - a clear message in a new report from from Ireland’s fiscal and climate advisory councils.

Instead of taking action to cut emissions (making energy cleaner & more secure, & diversifying farming) we face €26 billion in compliance costs to meet EU targets

Big reason for the public view is that our politicians, department, advisory & academic experts have AGREED Irish deep climate action IS feasible,
BUT they have abjectly failed to communicate to the public what is REQUIRED: enforced limits on high emitting activities eg. diesel, dairy, data centres.

All eyes turn to the upcoming Supreme Court appeal in Coolglass, which will settle (hopefully) the legal obligations under the Climate Action Act 2015.

Coming out soon in Public Law from @mdobbs26.bsky.social and me, an account of how environmental principles have been impacted by Brexit, looking in particular at the High Court's strained approach to the "due regard" duty in the @rightscommaction.bsky.social case:

ssrn.com/abstract=513...

A line graph depicting global CO2 emissions from energy and industrial processes, along with projections from 2000 to 2100. The y-axis represents CO2 emissions in gigatons (Gt), while the x-axis marks the years. A highlighted target to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C in 2100 is at 20 GtCO₂/yr by 2030. Also show is a line showing decrease in emissions equivalent to what occurred during the pandemic. The line misses the target by about 8 GtCO₂/yr in 2030.

A constant reminder that even if CO₂ emissions decreased annually as much as they did during the pandemic lockdown from now to 2030, we still wouldn't meet our emission target to keep global warming below 1.5°C.

Revealed: The €9 billion fossil fuel footprint in Irish private pensions The new data shows for the first time the the average exposure of private pensions in Ireland to fossil fuels

“At least €9 billion from Irish private pensions is estimated to be invested in the fossil fuel sector, new analysis by the Business Post shows.
The figures are based on sustainability disclosures for 2023 made individually by Ireland’s main private pension providers”

#TransitionRisk