Ireland becomes the second country in the world after Britain to declare a ‘climate emergency’ – as Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg says: ‘Great news, who’s next?’
- Ireland passed the motion as an amendment to a parliamentary report
- It was accepted without a vote and hailed as ‘historic’ by the Irish Green Party
- Greta Thunberg, 16, who addressed British MPs on the topic of climate change in London last month, tweeted ‘Great news from Ireland!! Who is next?’
Ireland’s parliament has become the second after Britain’s to declare a climate emergency, a decision hailed by Swedish teenage environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg as ‘great news’.
An amendment to a parliamentary report declaring a ‘climate emergency’ and calling on parliament ‘to examine how (the Irish government) can improve its response to the issue of biodiversity loss’ was accepted without a vote late Thursday.
Irish Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, who moved the amendment, called the decision ‘historic’.
Thunberg, the 16-year-old activist who has spearheaded protests across Europe and is becoming one of the most passionate voices of the green movement, urged more nations to follow suit.
Greta Thunberg, the teenage activist from Sweden who addressed MPs in London last month, tweeted ‘Who is next?’ after Ireland declared a climate emergency
Greta Thunberg has become a global leader of the green movement and has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize
‘Great news from Ireland!! Who is next?’ Thunberg tweeted.
Britain’s parliament became the first in the world to declare a climate emergency, passing the largely symbolic motion on May 1.
The step followed 11 days of street protests in London by the Extinction Rebellion environmental campaign group.
Swedish environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg receives applause after addressing politicians, media and guests within the Houses of Parliament on April 23 in London. Her visit coincided with the ‘Extinction Rebellion’ protests across the capital
Irish Green Party leader Eamon Ryan (pictured) tabled the motion to declare a ‘climate emergency’ and called the move ‘historic’
During the Easter campaign of street protests, occupations and roadblocks more than 1,130 people were arrested.
A small group of activists targeted Jeremy Corbyn’s home by using a bike lock on a fence and then gluing themselves together.
Extinction Rebellion’s ultimate goal is to slash global greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025 and to end biodiversity loss, steps that have won the backing of left-leaning politicians across the world.
The British government is currently eyeing a 2050 target date, which it says can be achieved without causing substantial economic damage and at a relatively low cost.