As the conference on sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro gets started, school children in Ireland and Brazil football kits kicked around a giant inflatable globe on Dublin’s South King Street.
The playful depiction of the games being played by political leaders as they debate responses to key global sustainability challenges was organised by Stop Climate Chaos, the national campaigning alliance made up of environment, development, faith and youth groups. Eco-Congregation Ireland is a member of SCC.
‘The slow and inadequate response to climate change is symbolic of the inadequate action we have seen on sustainable development as a whole since the first conference in Rio twenty years ago’, said Cliona Sharkey of Trócaire. ‘Climate change is already having impacts all over the world, hitting people in developing countries hardest. The climate science and energy investment experts are telling us that we are running out of time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change; these next years are absolutely critical’.
‘The new Sustainable Development Framework announced by the government last week is welcome, but we know from the experience of the last two decades, without the accountability of legislation, measures often and easily remain unimplemented. It is crucial that the government makes good on its commitment to introduce a climate law this year, this will be a key tool to shape and ensure the transition to a low carbon and sustainable economy’, said Lizzy Noone of Concern Worldwide.
‘The government’s commitment to climate legislation should be key to Minister Hogan’s message at the Rio conference’, said Ciara Gaynor of Oxfam Ireland. Ireland’s aid budget is supporting people in developing countries to cope with the impacts of climate change they are already dealing with. This support is critical, but the government must demonstrate its commitment to tackling the causes and not just the consequences of climate change’.
The playful depiction of the games being played by political leaders as they debate responses to key global sustainability challenges was organised by Stop Climate Chaos, the national campaigning alliance made up of environment, development, faith and youth groups. Eco-Congregation Ireland is a member of SCC.