Ireland Takes After Britain To Declare A Climate Emergency

Swedish Teenage Environmental Campaigner Grins As Ireland Declares A Climate Emergency

Ireland’s parliament has become the second country in the world to declare a climate emergency and Swedish teenage environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg has described the development as “great news”.

Naija News understands that Britain was the first country to declare a climate emergency.

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, RTE, Ireland Media reports

Irish Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, who moved the amendment, called the decision “historic”.

Thunberg, the 16-year-old  Climate activist who has led protests across Europe and is becoming one of the most passionate voices of the green movement, urged more nations to follow suit.

“Great news from Ireland!! Who is next?” Thunberg tweeted.

Great news from Ireland!! Who is next?
And remember: #ClimateEmergency means leaving fossil fuels in the ground. #ClimateBreakdown #EcologicalBreakdown https://t.co/GTkyhg7Sam

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) May 9, 2019

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.

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 targetting a 2050 target date, which it says can be achieved without causing substantial economic damage and at a relatively low cost.