HACE Lecture Series: Leo Varadkar, Prime Minister of Ireland 2017-2020 and 2022-2024

Join for the next installment in the HACE lecture series featuring global leaders responding to the climate crisis. Leo Varadkar served as Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland from 2017 to 2020 and again from 2022 to 2024, becoming one of the country’s youngest and first openly gay heads of government. During his tenure, Varadkar advanced Ireland’s climate agenda through the landmark Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, committing the country to legally binding emissions reductions and to a net-zero transition by 2050. He also championed Ireland’s leadership within the European Union on climate policy, sustainable finance, and multilateral cooperation. Under his leadership, Ireland strengthened its role in promoting human rights, social inclusion, and democratic values at home and abroad.