Building Community Power Through Sport: The Promise of Community Wealth Building

Seán McCabe is the Head of Climate Justice and Sustainability at Bohemian Football Club (Bohemians FC) in Dublin Ireland, He works at the intersection of football, community development, and climate action focusing on how clubs can act as catalysts for Community Wealth Building (CWB) and broader social change.

In his talk, he will explore how football clubs can serve as anchors for Community Wealth Building (CWB), an approach that redistributes wealth and power to local communities while supporting a just transition—tackling climate change alongside inequality and community resilience. Drawing on Bohemian FC and the SPARK Initiative in Ireland, he will argue that CWB is not about quick wins but about building durable foundations through governance, culture, and collective ownership. Using Bohemians as a case study, he will highlight efforts to develop cooperative economic activity in areas such as food, renewable energy, and retrofitting. He will also reflect on structural barriers in Ireland and outline practical steps to better support community-based enterprises.

Seán McCabe is Project Lead of The Bohemian Cooperatives and brings over 20 years of experience in climate justice, policy and community-led development. He leads climate justice and sustainability at Bohemian Football Club and is the author of The People’s Transition, developed through his work with TASC/FEPS. His background includes Mary Robinson – Climate Justice, the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative, the UNFCCC, UNICEF and Renaissance Reinsurance.

Arrivals from 3:45 am for a 4:00 noon start. After the talk finishes at 5pm, there will be further time for informal socialising.

This event is hybrid format, please use the required booking button at the bottom of the page to choose either in-person or online attendance.
(Please note that in-person spaces are limited and booking is required, so we can manage numbers for catering and also the space in the seminar room)

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IAS seminars are typically recorded, minus any Q&A sessions at the end, again to encourage contributions. The recordings are then uploaded to our website on a Fellows bio page and/or Programme page, along with our IAS YouTube Channel. If you are not able to attend a seminar live, please do still register as we will email everyone who registered to let them know once the recordings are made available.