UCD leads €5.7m new national AI centre to accelerate climate action
19 March 2026
Dr Simon Boucher, CEO of Global Innovators Ireland, with Dr Fiachra O'Loughlin, deputy director of DecarbAI; ischolars Chantelle Amoako-Atta and Purity Biwott; Professor Andrew Parnell, lead principal investigator DecarbAI; ischolars Lainey Ward and Raja Prabha Poolpandy; Yvonne McCarthy, head of sustainability research at AIB; and ischolar Yanfeng Wang
University College Dublin is leading a new €5.7 million national research centre harnessing artificial intelligence to tackle climate change and drive Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon future.
The Decarb-AI: AI-Powered Pathways to Climate Resilience centre will bring together a national consortium of universities to develop AI-driven solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation, supporting 30 fully funded PhD researchers (iScholars), with the first cohort of eight already in place at UCD and partner institutions.
Their work will focus on key areas including renewable energy optimisation, water quality forecasting, peatland restoration, biodiversity modelling and sustainable finance.
Created in partnership with AIB and Research Ireland, the new centre is led by (opens in a new window)UCD Professor Andrew Parnell as principal investigator and is the first Innovate for Ireland national centre.
“AI is the catalyst required to solve the multi-objective problems inherent in climate resilience. Through Decarb-AI, we are fostering a research environment where advanced data science meets urgent environmental necessity through our new iScholars,” said Professor Parnell, the Professor of Data Science for Weather and Climate at UCD.
“Our focus is on creating scalable, academically rigorous, and industry-ready outputs ranging from peatland restoration to sustainable finance. We must ensure that Ireland remains at the global forefront of excellence in AI and sustainability.”
Innovate for Ireland is a partnership between the Irish Government and the private sector that aims to attract world leading research and entrepreneurship doctoral talent to Ireland.
These students, known as iScholars, undertake research aligned with prioritised national themes, with a strong focus on sustainability and innovation.
Led by UCD, the Decarb-AI consortium of higher education institutions includes Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, Technological University Dublin, University of Limerick, University of Galway and University College Cork.
The centre will place a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and industry relevance, according to Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO Research Ireland.
“By combining advanced AI research with real-world climate challenges, Decarb-AI has the potential to generate solutions that are both scientifically rigorous and nationally impactful. This initiative will train the next generation of interdisciplinary leaders and strengthen Ireland’s credentials in climate research innovation,” he said.
Yvonne McCarthy, AIB Head of Sustainability Research, added: “By supporting the development of AI-driven tools for energy and sustainable finance, we’re helping to unlock some of the solutions that will ensure that businesses and communities can make meaningful progress on decarbonisation that allows them to thrive.”
Dr Simon Boucher, chief executive of Global Innovators Ireland, said the Decarb-AI national centre was “an important step towards realising the vision of establishing Ireland as a world-leading hub for sustainability innovation and helping to address the world’s most pressing challenges”
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
