Make Ireland's climate law strong enough to work

UPDATE:
Last week, we handed over this petition to Minister Alan Kelly. Minutes later he committed to making a number of key changes to the Climate Bill. Your action helped make this happen. Now we need to keep up the pressure and ensure he lives up to his promises before the Bill becomes law. Please continue to sign and share!
Thanks, Ciara

The Government's draft climate law is too weak to deliver the low carbon future it promises. Ireland's emissions are among the highest in Europe and rising again. Last week, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon urged Ireland to do more to tackle climate change when he said Ireland should "align its climate effort with its admirable engagement on hunger”.

Minister Alan Kelly has told the Dáil he is considering possible amendments to the draft law.

We need to make sure the changes aren't just window dressing, that they actually make the law stronger, by clearly indicating how much we plan to reduce emissions by 2050, by ensuring that the independence of the Expert Advisory Council is explicitly guaranteed and by committing to climate justice as a guiding principle.

The Minister must also keep his promise to have the Bill through parliament and passed into law before the summer break. It's almost three months since the draft law was first debated in the Dáil and we're still waiting for the Government's proposed changes. Time is ticking and the crucial UN summit in Paris is now less than six months away. Countries like Ireland, with high emissions and higher historical responsibility, have to demonstrate a credible commitment to climate action if we are to build the trust required for a global deal in Paris.

The only thing that has kept the Climate Bill on track to become law at all is the continuous pressure from campaigners like you. We need one last push to make it a climate law we can be proud of. Please sign the petition now and share it with your friends.

Thank you,
Ciara and the Stop Climate Chaos team.