Concern Worldwide encouraging supporters to Go Green before St. Patrick’s Day

The charity’s ‘Go Green for Concern’ campaign will see fundraisers wear green clothes or throw green-themed parties on Friday, March 13th.

Around the world, droughts and floods have almost doubled since the early 1990s. In many of the countries Concern works in, climate change is having a significant impact on vulnerable communities, according to Go Green for Concern co-ordinator Anika Patel.

“The public can show their support by wearing green jumpers or accessories, baking green cakes, using green make-up or anything else they can think of. No matter how green you go, the money raised will help transform communities affected by climate change,” she said.

Go Green is Concern’s latest public engagement campaign in Ireland, joining well known events such as the Concern Fast and Concern Debates.

 “Many communities rely heavily on farming, fishing and livestock rearing for their livelihood, but with the planet heating up, more and more of these communities struggle to grow or find food and find themselves back on the poverty line,” Ms Patel added.

“We’re working with communities to withstand the damage already being caused by climate change and, by going green for Concern, you can support us to reach more people on the front line of the climate crisis. A greener world has never been so important.”

While everyone is fully aware of the growing climate crisis, many of the world’s poorest people are already suffering the devastating effects, despite contributing to it the least, says Concern CEO Dominic MacSorley.

“Climate change is a poverty multiplier. People in parts of eastern Africa who may just have recovered from drought are seeing their animals and remaining crops washed away in floods,” he said.

“We must urgently focus on prevention and adaptation, to ensure we are preparing the communities around the world for what may be coming next. The Irish public has always been our biggest supporter, so I hope they will join us in going green on March 13th.”

In 2018, Concern reached around 24 million people in 25 of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries. It spent over €141 million on overseas programmes.

If you are interested in going green for Concern, contact our Green Team on gogreen@concern.net, call 01 417 8028 or visit concern.net/green.

ENDS

For media queries contact Jason Kennedy, Media Relations Officer, Concern Worldwide, on 01 417 8022 or by emailing Jason.kennedy@concern.net.