Over four days in November, Linen Quarter BID hosted RE[act] Festival 2025 under the theme ‘Building Resilience Together’. The festival was framed around the priorities of COP30, focussing on capacity-building for climate change. Climate NI attended four of the six events:  

• RE[purpose] From Waste to Worth 

• RE[imagine] Stories and Solutions for Environmental Leadership 

• RE[sponsible] AI for Climate Action 

• RE[sonate] Women in (Climate) Action 

Each event shared a sense of cautious optimism. We have moved beyond the ‘business-as-usual’ attitude of unchecked carbon emissions and little acknowledgement of future impacts. Despite this, we still have a long way to go if we wish to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, and further still if we are to realise the transformative opportunities ahead in creating a cleaner, fairer and more just Northern Ireland. 

RE[purpose] From Waste to Worth 

Hosted by International Synergies, RE[purpose] opened the festival with a simple – yet radical – idea: “they’re not waste materials, just resources in the wrong places”. The reallocation of underutilised industrial resources (known as industrial symbiosis) has strong roots in Northern Ireland; the InvestNI Resource Matching Service is one of the world’s longest-running programmes of its kind, operating since 2007.  

With participants from events, hospitality, education, and other sectors, the workshop demonstrated extraordinary potential to reduce waste and accelerate re-use; from like-new mattresses and crockery to surplus tea, coffee and even ‘almost full’ toilet rolls. Through joined-up thinking and consideration of a products full life cycle the full potential life of products and materials, businesses can meaningfully reduce Scope 3 emissions, cut costs, and often provide social good at the same time. 

Re[Imagine]: Stories and Solutions for Environmental Leadership 

On day two, RE[Imagine] explored how storytelling can accelerate environmental action. Dr Jonny Hanson, using vivid imagination (and a few memorable props) demonstrated a key message; that communication is most effective when emotionally grounded and connected to lived experience. Climate messaging can motivate behaviour change and build shared purpose when supported by data, but it must also be anchored in narrative to truly capture people’s imaginations. In a complex world, storytelling remains one of our most powerful tools for positive change. 

RE[sponsible] AI for Climate Action 

At RE[sponsible] AI, businesses explored how generative AI can support sustainability throughout the entire planning process, from developing climate strategies to analysing complex supply chains. Acknowledging the fact that technology’s own carbon footprint remains contested and complex to measure, Maurizio Liberante from SustainLAB highlighted the potential for AI to streamline climate action for SMEs. Ethical principles such as transparency, accountability and inclusivity were emphasised, reminding attendees that climate-tech solutions must remain people-centred and values-driven. 

RE[sonate] Women in (Climate) Action – 13/11/2025 

The festival’s closing event, held in the Canada Room of Queen’s University Belfast’s Lanyon Building, brought together two all-star panels of women leading climate action across Northern Ireland 

Panel 1:  

Katy Fulton (Bryson Recycling); Nuala Griffiths (Herron Brothers); Gail Cook (Artemis Technologies); Tamasin Fraser (Omnipower Renewables / Sustainable NI); Emma Cook (SONI).  

Panel 2:

Jane Corderoy (DAERA); Debbie Caldwell (Climate Commissioner at Belfast City Council; Sara Lynch (Queen’s University Belfast); Joanne Sherwood (RSPB / NIEL); Perla Mansour (Walk Wheel Cycle Trust / Wild Belfast). 

This event showcased the breadth of women shaping Northern Ireland’s sustainability landscape. When asked how they found themselves in their current roles, some described a ‘squiggly route’ into sustainability, while others had been committed to environmental action from the outset of their careers. Regardless of background, every speaker expressed a deep commitment to their work and a shared determination to drive positive change. 

Across both panels, a common theme emerged: progress has been made, but substantial challenges remain. Speakers highlighted persistent gender imbalances in certain sectors, the ongoing need to embed sustainable values, and the importance of avoiding polarised “environment vs economy” narratives. They emphasised that achieving a fair, effective climate response requires joined-up thinking across government departments, economic sectors and society. Understanding how our actions intersect, amplify or inadvertently hinder others is essential. 

DAERA’s Jane Corderoy expressed pride in Northern Ireland’s Just Transition Framework, calling it “the most just transition in the world.” Its strength, she noted, lies in its proactive approach to delivering fairness not just after change occurs, but at every stage of the transition. 

Each panel closed by asking: What one change would help create a more just, resilient and sustainable Belfast? Answers varied by sector. Gail Cook (Artemis Technologies) envisioned a greater use of our waterways for low-carbon public transport, while Joanne Sherwood (RSPB) pictured a Belfast with green walls and roofs as part of a nature-based solutions network. Belfast Climate Commissioner Debbie Caldwell neatly captured the collective sentiment by emphasising co-benefits: decisions to decarbonise our homes, adopt green technologies, or transform the city must be done in a way that benefits everyone. 

Northern Ireland is a small country, compared to global economic giants, but that scale can be an advantage. Our size allows for agility in pursuing sustainability, and if we ‘leave our egos at the door’ as Emma Cook (SONI) notes, we can ensure meaningful, inclusive and effective climate action across society, ensuring no one is left behind.