A guest blog by Donald Pols, director of Milieudefensie / Friends of the Earth Netherlands and chair of Friends of the Earth Europe, originally published by CommonDreams
Posts in the "Lima" category
Six Things to Look for When the Climate Bill is Published
Posted on March 22, 2021 by Oisín Coghlan
Media reports indicate that the Government’s revised Climate Bill will go to Cabinet for approval and publication on Tuesday. The Bill is a flagship commitment in the Programme for Government.
Climate legislation is about governance - about how we make climate policy and how we make sure policy is implemented. It is the framework to drive action rather than being a list of actions. Key elements include:
- a long-term (2050) target
- short-term (5 year) targets
- a duty on Government to produce an action plan to actually cut polluting emissions in line with the targets
- an expert council to provide independent advice to the Government and monitor progress
- robust parliamentary oversight and ministerial accountability
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • energy
One Future Local Groups Update
Posted on February 22, 2021 by Claudia Tormey
One Future is a network of campaign groups across Ireland supported by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, of which Friends of the Earth is the secretariat member. One Future groups campaign for faster and fairer climate action within their constituencies and communities by building local campaigns and lobbying local TDs.
Permanent link | Categories: activism • climatechange • newsletter spring 2021 • one future
Faster and Fairer Climate Action Campaign Update
Posted on February 22, 2021 by Claudia Tormey
Faster and Fairer Climate Action is our campaign to achieve our Strategic Objective on climate governance. Much of our work on this campaign is pursued through our coordination and participation in the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition.
In recent months we have maintained our campaign to strengthen the Climate Bill. In December the Joint Oireachtas Committee concluded their scrutiny of the Bill. Their report from the process puts a spotlight on weaknesses in the Bill identified by many experts that came before the Committee, and by Stop Climate Chaos when the original draft was published in October. It makes specific recommendations to the Government on fixing those loopholes before the Bill comes to the Dáil to be formally debated this spring.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • newsletter spring 2021
Don't let Sir Humphrey hobble the Climate Bill!
Posted on February 17, 2021 by Oisín Coghlan
I wrote last week about some updates on the Climate Bill. I mentioned that 2021 should be the year when Ireland finally gets a new, stronger, Climate Law. I was pretty apprehensive about putting those words on paper - fearing I may be tempting fate!
Well….unfortunately I was right to be apprehensive. The Government is currently making its final decisions on the Climate Law and some alarm bells are starting to ring . Unless we apply strong pressure now, there’s a risk that the Climate Law could be watered down. So can you take this e-action I shared last week without delay? Asking your TDs to ensure the Government listens to the Joint Committee on Climate Action’s recommendations to strengthen the Climate Bill - instead of doing the opposite and making it weaker.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange
13 years is too long for victims of Shell’s oil spills to wait for justice
Posted on February 16, 2021 by Guest Blogger
Justice has finally prevailed for the people of the oil-soaked Niger Delta. On Friday 29th January, after a thirteen-year struggle for redress for lives ruined by oil spills, three Nigerian farmers, supported by Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands, beat one of the world’s most powerful transnational corporations, Shell, in court in the Netherlands.
Across Nigeria’s southern Delta region, people who have never heard of the Court of Appeal in the Hague celebrated with victory parties.
But no victim should have to wait thirteen years for justice. Better laws are needed now to give victims quicker and more effective ways to win remedy.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • energy
Crunch time for the Climate Law - action time for us all!
Posted on February 12, 2021 by Oisín Coghlan
I’m almost scared to say it out loud - for fear of jinxing things. But here goes anyway….2021 should finally be the year that Ireland gets a new, stronger, Climate Law.
I’ve got to admit, when the draft law was published last autumn I was disappointed. But a huge movement rose up, determined to make this law better. The actions of Friends of the Earth supporters - along with countless other activists, groups and organisations - were immense. Whether you took an e-action, called your TD or took part in the TD Lobby in December, your action has made a real difference.
The Oireachtas Committee tasked with scrutinizing the draft Climate Law really felt our pressure! This Committee has now produced a very good report, with a list of recommendations to strengthen the law. Having this report is a powerful tool in our campaigning tool box. Now we just need to use it! It’s crucial that the Government accepts the report’s recommendations - and addresses some remaining weaknesses in the Bill. So could you email your TDs asking them to ensure the Government does this? The Government will make its final decisions on the Climate Law in the next couple of weeks - so there’s no time to lose!
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • gas
Learning Hub is back in action! Join us for our next event
Posted on February 04, 2021 by Emma-Jayne Geraghty
There’s no doubt about it, January was a long, hard month for many of us. It’s good to see February arrive - with some new hope and slightly brighter days.
We're delighted to announce that the Learning Hub we launched in Autumn 2020 is back in action. Perhaps you attended the first Learning Hub event last October, where the meaning of Climate Justice was explored? If you missed it, you can watch it back here. That first event was based loosely on Mary’s Robinson’s book ‘Climate Justice’.
Permanent link | Categories: activism • climatechange • Learning Hub • Webinars
Watch it Back - Hopeful Chats about Climate Change
Posted on January 13, 2021 by Claudia Tormey
There’s no denying it, the last few weeks have been very difficult. We’re living through a period where every glimmer of hope we can find is precious - and to be treasured. With that in mind, we wanted to share the recording of a webinar that we hosted just before Christmas - Hopeful Chats about Climate Change. People left the webinar feeling very hopeful - and it continues to give us hope when we think back about it now! You can watch it back here in your own time.
Dr Cara Augustenborg did a super job of chairing the discussion and spoke from her own experience as a climate scientist, activist and mother.
Permanent link | Categories: activism • climatechange • webinars
Over 1000 people met their TDs during TD Lobby for Faster and Fairer Climate Action
Posted on December 11, 2020 by Deirdre Duff
The dedication and commitment of constituents from across Ireland made the day!
Over 1000 constituents from across Ireland met their TDs on 7th December during a mass online Lobby for Faster and Fairer Climate Action. They voiced their climate concerns and demanded that loopholes in the 2020 Climate Action Bill be closed.
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange
Hopeful Chats about Climate Change - Join us for a Webinar
Posted on December 10, 2020 by Claudia Tormey
Talking about climate change can sometimes be hard - talking about it with our children can be even harder!
Join us on Tuesday December 15th at 7pm for a conversation about engaging young people on the topic of climate change and how we can take positive action together.
Register for our Hopeful Chats about Climate Change webinar on 15th December
Permanent link | Categories: climatechange • webinars
