2026 → 2036
Where to start
Twelve big problems for the next ten years, and ways into each one: a job, a company, or a few hours a month.
Planet
3 problemsClimate
Heat, floods and emissions
1.55°C
above pre-industrial in 2024, the warmest year on record
Each extra tenth of a degree brings more extreme heat, drought and flooding, and current national plans cut emissions far less than the Paris goals need.
- 2025 was the second or third warmest year, at 1.43 °C; the eleven warmest years on record are 2015 to 2025. WMO 2026
- New national climate plans put 2035 emissions about 12% below 2019. UNFCCC, Nov 2025
- Ireland’s legal target is a 51% cut by 2030 against 2018; the EPA projects at most 25%. EPA, May 2026
WMO · 2024 · SDG 13 Sources
- WMO, State of the Global Climate 2025 (March 2026)
- WMO, State of the Global Climate 2024 (March 2025)
- UNFCCC, NDC Synthesis Report update (Nov 2025)
- IRENA, Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2025 (July 2026)
- EPA, Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions projections (May 2026)
Where you could start
An hour
- Switch to a renewable electricity tariff.
- Swap one regular car trip for the bike, bus or train.
- See which SEAI grants would cover insulating or heating your home.
Hours a month
- Sustainable Energy Communitiesjoin or start a local energy group; SEAI assigns a mentor
- Friends of the Earth Irelandjoin a local group campaigning on climate and energy
More: I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland
Your job
- Grid, power and battery engineering (EirGrid, ESB Networks, energy start-ups)
- Building retrofit: energy assessors, installers and heat-pump engineers
- Climate data and forecasting (Met Éireann, universities)
More: Activelink · Probably Good · 80,000 Hours · Climatebase
A company
- Software that plans a whole-house retrofit and the grants that pay for it
- Tools that measure the carbon built into a building
- Heat-pump and solar installation, done well and on time
More: Local Enterprise Office
−89%
Sign of progress
cost of large-scale solar power, 2010 to 2025 · IRENA 2026
Water
Drinking water, sanitation and drought
2.1bn
people without safely managed drinking water at home
Growing cities, farming and hotter summers are straining supplies, and unsafe water still spreads disease.
- 3.4 billion people lack safely managed sanitation, and 354 million still practise open defecation. WHO/UNICEF JMP 2025
- Farming accounts for 72% of the fresh water people take from rivers and aquifers. FAO AQUASTAT 2025
Where you could start
An hour
- Fix a dripping tap or a running toilet.
- Report a leak in the street to Uisce Éireann.
- Put in a water butt for the garden.
Hours a month
- Clean Coastsjoin or set up a beach or waterway clean-up group
- Coastwatchsurvey a stretch of shore each autumn
- Dodder Actionclean-ups and tree planting along the River Dodder in south Dublin
- River Basin Management Serviceadvice, training and funding for a local river group
More: I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland
Your job
- Water and wastewater engineering (Uisce Éireann, councils, consultancies)
- Hydrology and flood forecasting
- Environmental monitoring, sensors and data
More: Activelink · Probably Good · 80,000 Hours · Climatebase
A company
- Leak detection for small and group water schemes
- Low-cost water-quality sensors for rivers and wells
- Rainwater and greywater reuse for buildings
More: Local Enterprise Office
961 m
Sign of progress
people gained safely managed drinking water between 2015 and 2024 · WHO/UNICEF
Nature
Wildlife, forests and oceans
73%
average fall in monitored wildlife populations since 1970
Farming, logging, pollution and warming are shrinking habitats. Around a million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction.
- Between 2023 and 2025, 84% of the world’s coral reef area had bleaching-level heat stress. NOAA Coral Reef Watch 2026
- About 18.5% of land and 10% of the ocean are protected or conserved, against a target of 30% by 2030. Protected Planet, Sept 2026
Where you could start
An hour
- Leave part of the garden unmown for pollinators.
- Do a 10-minute FIT Count of the insects on a patch of flowers (April to September).
- Record wildlife sightings for the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
Hours a month
- BirdWatch Irelandrecord the birds in your garden each week, December to February
- Irish Wildlife Trustjoin a local branch’s events and conservation work
More: I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland
Your job
- Ecology and conservation (National Parks and Wildlife Service, councils)
- Farm research and advice on restoring land (Teagasc)
- Remote sensing and acoustic monitoring
More: Activelink · Probably Good · 80,000 Hours · Climatebase
A company
- Sensors that count birds, bats and insects automatically
- Tools that pay farmers for restoring hedgerows and wetlands
- Native tree and wildflower nurseries
More: Local Enterprise Office
Jan 2026
Sign of progress
the High Seas Treaty came into force; it now has 101 parties · UN Treaty Collection
Basic needs
3 problemsFood
Hunger, farming and waste
645m
people facing hunger in 2025, about 1 in 13
Conflict, prices and climate shocks drive hunger, while about a fifth of the food available to consumers is wasted.
- For the first time, Africa has more hungry people than any other region, about 309 million. SOFI 2026
- 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted in 2022, and another 13% is lost between harvest and shop. UNEP 2024; FAO
- More than three-quarters of leading food crop types rely at least partly on pollinators. IPBES 2016
FAO et al. · 2025 · SDG 2 · SDG 12 Sources
Where you could start
An hour
- Plan the week’s meals and freeze what you won’t get to.
- Grow herbs on a windowsill.
- Collect a bag of surplus food with Too Good To Go.
Hours a month
- FoodCloudsort and pack surplus food at a hub in Dublin, Cork or Galway
- GIYcourses on growing your own food
More: I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland
Your job
- Agronomy and food science (Teagasc, food companies)
- Cold-chain logistics that cut waste
- Food security and humanitarian work (WFP, Concern Worldwide, GOAL)
More: Activelink · Probably Good · 80,000 Hours · Climatebase
A company
- Marketplaces for surplus food from shops and restaurants
- Irrigation and soil sensors for small farms
- Indoor growing of herbs and salad close to cities
More: Local Enterprise Office
−14 m
Sign of progress
fewer people facing hunger than in 2024, and 43 million fewer than the 2022 peak · FAO et al. 2026
Energy
Electricity and clean cooking
655m
people with no electricity at home
Most people without power live in sub-Saharan Africa, and about 2 billion people still cook with polluting fuels that fill homes with smoke.
- Energy produces about three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions. Climate Watch 2026
- Data centres used 485 TWh of electricity in 2025 and could use about 950 TWh by 2030. IEA 2026
Where you could start
An hour
- Run the washing machine and dishwasher off-peak.
- Turn the heating down by one degree.
- Look up your home’s BER and what would raise it.
Hours a month
- Sustainable Energy Communitieshelp a local group plan solar, insulation and heat
More: I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland
Your job
- Electrical engineering for grids and batteries (EirGrid, ESB Networks)
- Solar and heat-pump installation
- Off-grid solar companies in Africa and South Asia
More: Activelink · Probably Good · 80,000 Hours · Climatebase
A company
- Heating controls that report back when a setting changes
- Community solar and battery projects
- Pay-as-you-go solar kits for homes off the grid
More: Local Enterprise Office
693 GW
Sign of progress
of renewable power added in 2025, 86% of all new capacity · IRENA 2026
Poverty
Extreme poverty and inequality
824m
people living on less than $3 a day in 2024, about 1 in 10
Extreme poverty is falling slowly, and about 7 in 10 of the people living on less than $3 a day are in sub-Saharan Africa.
- The World Bank raised its extreme poverty line to $3.00 a day in June 2025. World Bank
World Bank · 2024 · SDG 1 · SDG 10 Sources
Where you could start
An hour
- Give to GiveDirectly, which sends cash straight to people in poverty.
- Buy from social enterprises.
Hours a month
- Society of St Vincent de Paulvisit people in need at home, or help in a Vincent’s shop
- Dublin Simon Communityjoin the soup run or volunteer in homeless services
More: I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland
Your job
- International development (Concern Worldwide, GOAL, Trócaire)
- Social work and community development
- Economics and policy on tax, welfare and housing
More: Activelink · Probably Good · 80,000 Hours · Climatebase
A company
- Banking and mobile money for people without a bank account
- Faster, cheaper ways to build homes
- Tools that help people claim the supports they’re owed
More: Local Enterprise Office
Health & wellbeing
3 problemsHealth
Pandemics and drug-resistant infections
1.14m
deaths directly caused by drug-resistant bacteria
Antibiotics are losing their effect, and a new pandemic could spread faster than vaccines can be made.
- Drug-resistant infections could directly cause 39 million deaths between 2025 and 2050. GRAM, The Lancet 2024
- Safe water, sanitation and hygiene could have prevented at least 1.4 million deaths in 2019. WHO
Where you could start
An hour
- Give blood; allow 60 to 90 minutes.
- Take antibiotics only when a doctor prescribes them.
- Let Folding@home use a spare computer for disease research.
Hours a month
- Irish Red Crossvolunteer in first aid or community support with a local branch
- BlueDot Impacta free online course on biosecurity and pandemic prevention
More: I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland
Your job
- Microbiology and infection control (HSE, hospitals)
- Biotech and medtech: diagnostics and vaccines
- Public health and epidemiology
More: Activelink · Probably Good · 80,000 Hours · Climatebase
A company
- Rapid, cheap diagnostic tests
- CO₂ and ventilation monitors for classrooms and offices
- Software that helps doctors pick the right antibiotic
More: Local Enterprise Office
May 2025
Sign of progress
WHO members adopted a Pandemic Agreement; it opens for signature once its last annex is agreed · WHO
Mental health
Mental health, loneliness and happiness
1bn+
people living with a mental health condition, about 1 in 7
Anxiety and depression are the most common conditions, and in most countries care is scarce.
- About 1 in 6 people are affected by loneliness, which is linked to about 871,000 deaths a year. WHO Commission on Social Connection 2025
- Heavy social media use appears to be contributing to falling wellbeing among young people in English-speaking countries and Western Europe. World Happiness Report 2026
Where you could start
An hour
- Message someone you haven’t talked to in a while.
- Leave the phone in another room for an evening.
Hours a month
- Samaritans Irelandtrain as a listening volunteer; one shift of about three hours a week
- 50808answer crisis texts from home, after 30 hours of online training
- Mental Health First Aid Irelanda two-day course on helping someone who is struggling
More: I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland
Your job
- Psychology, counselling and psychotherapy
- Youth work and youth mental health services
- Research on social media and wellbeing
More: Activelink · Probably Good · 80,000 Hours · Climatebase
A company
- Apps that get people together in person
- Online therapy with evidence behind it
- Mental health support for small workplaces
More: Local Enterprise Office
13th
Sign of progress
Ireland in the World Happiness Report 2026, up from 15th · World Happiness Report
Ageing
Longer lives, fewer workers
1 in 6
people will be aged 60 or over by 2030
Longer lives are a success, but fewer workers per retiree strains pensions and care, especially where birth rates have fallen fast.
- By the mid-2030s, people aged 80 or over (265 million) will outnumber babies under one. UN World Population Prospects 2024
- By 2050 the number of people aged 60 or over will double, to 2.1 billion. WHO
WHO · 2030 · SDG 3 · SDG 8 Sources
Where you could start
An hour
- Call or visit an older neighbour.
- Help someone set up video calls with their family.
Hours a month
- ALONEbefriend an older person with weekly visits or calls
- Age Actionteach an older person to use a phone or computer, one to one
- Men’s Shedsfind a shed near you and join in
More: I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland
Your job
- Nursing, care work and occupational therapy
- Research on ageing
- Assistive technology and robotics
More: Activelink · Probably Good · 80,000 Hours · Climatebase
A company
- Home sensors that notice a fall or a change in routine, privately
- Scheduling and pay tools for home-care workers
- Adapting homes so people can stay in them
More: Local Enterprise Office
Society & technology
3 problemsWar & peace
Conflict, displacement and arms
65
state-based armed conflicts in 2025, the most since 1946
More armed conflicts than in any year since 1946, and military spending at its highest share of world income since 2009.
- 117.8 million people were forcibly displaced at the end of 2025. UNHCR Global Trends 2026
- World military spending reached $2.89 trillion in 2025, 2.5% of world GDP. SIPRI 2026
Where you could start
An hour
- Give to a humanitarian appeal.
- Read one long piece of reporting on a conflict you know little about.
Hours a month
- Places of Sanctuary Irelandjoin or start a local group welcoming people seeking sanctuary
- Amnesty International Irelandjoin a local group campaigning on human rights
- Irish Red Crosssupport people in emergencies through a local branch
More: I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland
Your job
- Humanitarian work (Irish Red Cross, UNHCR, GOAL, Concern Worldwide)
- Diplomacy and peacebuilding (Department of Foreign Affairs)
- Peacekeeping with the Defence Forces
More: Activelink · Probably Good · 80,000 Hours · Climatebase
A company
- Satellite and open-source analysis for newsrooms and charities
- Language and job-matching tools for refugees
- Drones and sensors for clearing landmines
More: Local Enterprise Office
14.7 m
Sign of progress
displaced people returned home in 2025; the total fell for the first time in a decade · UNHCR
Disinformation
Trust, truth and polarisation
62%
worry about telling what is real from fake online
Generative AI makes convincing fakes cheap to produce, and feeds reward engagement over accuracy.
- Trust in news is 37%, the lowest since the survey began in 2015. Reuters Institute 2026
- The World Economic Forum’s 2026 survey ranks mis- and disinformation the second-biggest global risk over the next two years. WEF Global Risks Report 2026
Reuters Institute · 2026 · SDG 16 Sources
Where you could start
An hour
- Check where a claim came from before sharing it.
- Subscribe to a local paper or news site.
- Learn Be Media Smart’s Stop, Think, Check.
Hours a month
- Wikimedia Community Irelandlearn to edit Wikipedia at an editathon
More: I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland
Your job
- Journalism, especially local and data journalism
- Trust and safety at online platforms
- Open-source investigation and research
More: Activelink · Probably Good · 80,000 Hours · Climatebase
A company
- Provenance tools (C2PA) for cameras and newsrooms
- New business models for local news
- Tools that show where a photo or quote first appeared
More: Local Enterprise Office
Artificial intelligence
Jobs, safety and control
700m+
people use leading AI systems every week
AI is improving faster than the rules around it, with open questions about jobs, safety, energy use and who controls it.
- Private investment in AI more than doubled in 2025, to $345 billion. Stanford AI Index 2026
- Data centres used 485 TWh of electricity in 2025 and could use about 950 TWh by 2030. IEA 2026
International AI Safety Report · 2026 · SDG 9 Sources
Where you could start
An hour
- Test an AI model on something you know well and note its mistakes.
- Read the summary of the International AI Safety Report.
Hours a month
- BlueDot Impactfree courses on AI safety and AI governance
- EleutherAIjoin an open AI research community; suits people who code
More: I-VOL, Volunteer Ireland
Your job
- AI safety and evaluation research
- Machine-learning engineering for public services
- AI policy and regulation
More: Activelink · Probably Good · 80,000 Hours · Climatebase
A company
- Tools that test models before they are released
- Small, efficient models that run on your own devices
- AI for public services, with a full audit trail
More: Local Enterprise Office
2024
Sign of progress
Nobel Prize in Chemistry for AI protein structure prediction · Nobel Prize
Still deciding?
One way to choose: pick the problem you’d read about anyway, do its one-hour step, then give it a few hours a month before changing jobs.
- I-VOL, Volunteer IrelandSearch volunteer roles near you.
- ActivelinkJobs and volunteer roles in Irish charities and community groups.
- Probably GoodA free career guide, job board and one-to-one advice for doing good.
- 80,000 HoursA career guide and job board, now focused mostly on AI risk.
- ClimatebaseClimate jobs worldwide.
- Local Enterprise OfficeA Start Your Own Business course and mentoring.