Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, chair of The Elders, and the former UN special envoy on climate change, is one of the world’s most respected advocates for climate justice. Her new book, Climate Justice, has received praise from former world leaders and the environmental and human rights community.
Robinson is a graduate of Trinity College and Harvard Law School, and she holds honorary doctorates from more than 40 of the world’s most elite universities and is the recipient of the Indira Gandhi and Sydney Peace Prizes. She served in the Irish Senate for 20 years before ascending to the Presidency in 1990. She is widely regarded as a groundbreaking leader who helped shape modern Ireland in a period of rapid economic growth.
In 2007, Robinson became a founding member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders formed by Nelson Mandela to tackle the world’s most pressing issues. She was appointed as the UN special envoy on climate change in 2016 and has sounded the alarm when extreme weather events have disproportionately affected the world’s most vulnerable populations.
Robinson is looking forward to returning to the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic fleet as a guest speaker on the Ireland portion of our journey. She brings the thought leadership of a former head of state, a grandmother’s passionately felt concern for the future, and the compelling stories of the thousands she has met traveling the world as a champion for climate justice and human rights. Among our travelers, she is known for sparking meaningful conversations and framing climate issues in solvable terms, leaving guests hopeful and inspired to change the course of our planet’s future.
On the 2025 departures of Ancient Isles: England, Ireland, and Scotland, travelers will be joined for a portion of their journey by Mary Robinson. On the May 2, 2025 departure, Robinson will join May 7-13. On the May 13, 2025 departure, Robinson will join May 13-19.
My upcoming expeditions: