Ask the Government for faster and fairer climate action

164 / 1000 signatures

We can see all around us that climate breakdown is accelerating. From floods to extreme heat and more intense storms, fires and droughts, the climate crisis is already claiming lives and livelihoods. And the poorest are always hit first and hardest.
The latest science is starker than ever. We have a very small window of opportunity to avoid dangerous tipping points. We can still avoid the worst climate chaos but only if we act now.

We are campaigning for climate action that is fast enough to avoid complete climate breakdown.

Ireland still has the second highest climate-changing pollution per person in the EU. The Government has pledged to cut our pollution in half by 2030. Now we need the policies to make that happen. We need to transform our energy, heating, transport, economic and food systems to get to zero pollution as quickly as possible. And we need sustained Government action to make sure that zero polluting options are accessible and affordable for everyone.
There are still powerful interest groups lobbying noisily for exemptions and special treatment for their sectors. But now that our targets are in law, any special treatment for business means households and communities will have to cut their pollution even more.

Only people power can make sure the Government does the right thing. Join the movement for faster and fairer climate action by signing this petition.

We are campaigning for climate action that is fair enough to leave no one behind.

We’re campaigning to make sure that Government action to cut pollution doesn’t negatively impact the most vulnerable in our society. Climate action will only succeed by reducing, not increasing, inequalities and poverty. Climate action must be fair enough to leave no one behind.

We believe fairness must be at the heart of Irish climate policy and action:

Fairness between countries (global justice): Ireland must do its fair share to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Rich countries like Ireland, the EU and the US have to do more, sooner, to cut emissions and to help developing countries in the Global South to adapt to the climate change that has been caused by rich countries.

Fairness between generations (intergenerational justice): This generation of decision makers and power-brokers, people in their 40s, 50s and 60s should make the necessary cuts in pollution now, before it is too late to leave a liveable planet to the generations in their teens, 20s and 30s who will have to live with the consequences of our decisions or inaction long after they have departed.

Fairness between sectors: Every sector of society and the economy will have to do its fair share to reduce its pollution. That is not the same as an equal share, some sectors will move faster than others, but every sector will have to reduce its emissions drastically, starting now, and get to zero or close to zero, as fast as possible. Now that our 2030 target is in law (and all sectors have endorsed it) any time a sector rejects a proposal to cut emissions they need to be asked what proposal they have to achieve the same savings, or what other sector they think should cut more instead of them.

We need a fair and just transition, that protects the vulnerable: Workers and communities who are affected by the winding down of intensely polluting economic activity, like peat-burning in the Midlands and coal-burning in Moneypoint, are entitled to the resources and supports they need to continue to have economic opportunity, decent jobs and flourishing communities. Equally, those on low incomes or at risk of poverty must not be further disadvantaged or marginalized by climate action, for example either by increasing fuel poverty or the skewing of subsidies towards schemes that primarily benefit wealthier sectors of society.