Students from Killorglin Community College, joined peers from across Ireland, to gather in Dublin to discuss and ideate on climate action and environmental sustainability.

It was all part of a unique event co-hosted by EirGrid, in partnership with Young Social Innovators (YSI).

The money and energy-savvy TikTokers shared energy-saving tips and sustainability advice on the popular platform under the handle – ‘The Economic Life Raft’.

“We share money-saving tips like recipes to use up leftovers and how to bleed your radiators so they’re more energy efficient," explaining the idea student, Zachery Cahill, said.

The group now plan to grow their own vegetables in the school’s polytunnel.

“We want to show that it's cheaper and better to grow your own vegetables. We’re working with the student council too to get reusable water bottles for students, to cut out plastic bottles, and we hope to work with the local Tidy Towns group to go litter picking,” student Emma Healy said.

While at the Dublin event, the students had the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the National Control Centre, the hub from which EirGrid manages Ireland’s electricity grid, and to provide the grid operator with their views on how they’d like to see Ireland’s energy system develop for the future.

As well as a series of thought-provoking workshops on issues including the Sustainable Development Goals, climate justice, biodiversity, and degrowth, the students, who are all tackling climate related issues as part of their YSI participation, brainstormed about how to develop their own project ideas, alongside EirGrid staff.

EirGrid is the Climate Action and Energy partner to Young Social Innovators, a national organisation that engages thousands of young people annually in co-creating and developing innovative ideas to address social challenges.