Former Offaly rugby player turned Climate Ambassador wins Outstanding Achievement Award

A former Offaly rugby player turned climate ambassador has won an Outstanding Achievement Award at The Climate Ambassador Awards. 

Tullamore native Peter Bracken, who is now based in Castlebar in Mayo, was one of 12 recipients of the awards. 

Peter is a former European Rugby Champions Cup winner and played for Munster, Connacht, Wasps and Ireland A. He also represented the Barbarians against Englands.

He was a coach when Ireland's Women’s rugby team won Six Nations in 2015 and is interested in linking sport with the environment.

Over the summer he took on a mighty challenge where he drove a fully electric car to all 241 rugby clubs in Ireland to promote biodiversity and sustainability within Irish rugby clubs and to remove Irish people's fear of electric vehicle 'charging anxiety'.

He takes on various electric driving adventures which link sport, electric vehicles and the environment. These challenges aim to prove how practical electric vehicles are in Ireland and bust the various myths surrounding them. He also interviews sports people in electric cars, talks about their sporting careers and what they are doing in their own personal lives to be more “eco-friendly”; all with the aim of using the power and influence of sport to inspire people to make sustainable choices.

The award recognise the tremendous effort and dedication demonstrated throughout the year. Each Climate Ambassador received a certificate of recognition, with an additional twelve outstanding awards presented to teams and individuals from swap shops and flash mobs to musicians and artists, sports stars, farmers, social entrepreneurs, community activists, businesses and universities.

One hundred and ninety one citizens were chosen to be Climate Ambassadors in 2022. The programme, which has been in operation since 2018, has become stronger over time as Climate Ambassadors have acquired crucial skills and confidence to take action, motivating others to follow in their footsteps along the way.

Climate Ambassadors receive training at the start of the year in climate science, solutions and communications which enables them to carry out climate actions. Throughout the year they are asked to undertake four key actions – two climate communications and two climate actions, though many participants get involved in many more projects. This programme allows individuals to join a strong network of dedicated people who share knowledge, gain insight from one another, and forge long lasting relationships.