Call on Ireland to propose a UN ban on fracking

17 / 500 signatures

Friends of the Earth has joined forces with activists and experts from across the anti-fracking movement [note 1] to call on Ireland to propose a global ban on fracking at the United Nations. We have written a joint letter to Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney TD to ask for Ireland’s support and produced an Explanatory Memorandum which outlines the case for a resolution on a global ban on fracking.

This call follows on from an open letter to the UN Secretary-General in 2019, signed by over 450 grassroots groups, organisations, celebrities and scientists from around the world, which demanded that the UN to champion efforts to stop fracking.

Gas is a harmful fossil fuel. At the very least half of all existing gas reserves need to stay in the ground unburned to keep global heating to less than 2C, more if we are serious about the Paris goal of 1.5C.

Fracked gas is fossil gas that has been extracted by an extremely damaging and polluting extractive process known as hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’. The harmful effects of fracking have been especially felt by communities in the US and include hugely detrimental impacts on public health and safety, as well as on ecological systems and the environment.

Fracking is also driving the climate crisis with US fracked gas thought to be responsible for the recent spike in global methane emissions (an extremely potent greenhouse gas). The Irish Centre for Human Rights in NUI Galway has also undertaken research on the international human rights implications of fracked gas which highlights that fracking has wide-ranging adverse impacts on many human rights (see here).

Ireland is uniquely well-positioned to lead the effort against fracked gas. Ireland already has a strong legislative ban on fracking in Ireland and within weeks will publish a policy against fracked gas imports. The state has also introduced legislation to make the state investment fund pull its money out of fossil fuel.

Sign the petition asking the Irish Government to table a UN resolution at the United Nations calling for a global ban on fracking.

Note 1
The orignators of the call include Belcoo Frack Free, Fridays for Future Ireland, Future Proof Clare, the Irish Centre for Human Rights NUI Galway, Love Leitrim, Safety Before LNG, Sr Majella McCarron OLA.