Climate campaigners to quiz MEP candidates today

Friends of the Earth launches EU policy manifesto.

Friends of the Earth is holding a European Parliament “climate hustings” today, Tuesday 28 May [1]. Candidates participating include Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein), Aodhán Ó Riordáin (Labour), Sinead Gibney (Soc Dems), Clare Daly MEP (Independent), Grace O’Sullivan MEP (Greens), Brian O’ Boyle (People Before Profit). All the main political parties were invited to nominate a representative. The hustings come as Ireland Thinks polling shows that climate change will be the third biggest issue influencing people’s vote in the EU elections after immigration and housing [2]. 

The outgoing European Parliament had an outsized role in climate policy and the European Union progressed a slate of legislation related to the European Green Deal. Friends of the Earth is launching its European manifesto in conjunction with the hustings, laying its key policy recommendations for the next five years [3].

 

Commenting, Friends of the Earth Head of Campaigns, Sorcha Tunney, said:

“The outcome of the EU parliament elections will be critical for people and the planet. Now is not the time to slow down the EU drive towards climate action. The political direction of the European Union will have a historical impact on all our futures. Climate and the environment is a key concern for many voters. We want to hear from our candidates about how, if elected, they intend to deliver the bold and urgent climate action we need in the next European Parliament.”

 

European policy manifesto

Friends of the Earth’s European Manifesto details the urgent climate and nature actions required from the next European parliament. We are calling for the delivering of a Climate Emergency Package to ramp up climate action before 2030.  The parliament must deliver on clean energy by building a 100% renewable energy system by 2040. One of our key election demands is that we end our dependence on dirty fossil fuels by adopting phase-out dates for fossil fuels. In order to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and ensure warm homes for all, the European parliament must roll-out a European-wide programme for subsidised deep renovations prioritising those most at risk of energy poverty.

 

The European parliament has a critical role in ensuring sustainable farming across the bloc. We are calling for financial support, for agroecological farming to be prioritised and for fair prices for producers, while cutting support for the industrial model of production. 

 

To reduce air pollution the EU must deliver a clean public transport system and urgently reduce sales of fossil fuel cars. In order to reduce greenhouse gases and support clean air the EU must protect, restore and enhance Europe’s forests, soils and wetlands and deliver the Nature Restoration law.  The EU must lead by example for climate justice internationally and ensure that climate finance is additional and fair. 

 

A priority for the public

In a recent poll, Ireland Thinks found that 23% of people ranked climate as one of the top three issues that would influence their vote in the forthcoming elections, behind immigration and housing and ahead of cost of living (18%) and Gaza (16%).

 

 

It was an open-ended question with people able to name their own issues, among a representative sample of 1,704 respondents and a margin of error of +/- 2.4% [2].

The hustings will be online at 1pm on Tuesday 28 May. Register here to join the hustings

ENDS

 

Notes

1. Register here to join the hustings: https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/events/pre-election-mep-hustings/

2. The Ireland Thinks findings and methodology are online here: https://bit.ly/ClimateInsights2024a

3. Friends of the Earth’s EU policy manifesto is online here: https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/assets/files/pdf/european_elections_policy_doc.pdf