'This can set off a wave of action from parliaments and governments around the globe,' Jeremy Corbyn said.
By Rick Noack Rick Noack Foreign affairs reporter focusing on Europe and international security Email Bio Follow May 10 at 8:38 AM BERLIN — Ireland became the second country on Thursday to declare a climate emergency, following Britain’s lead earlier this month. The measures come amid global youth protests demanding more climate action and as researchers fear that 1 million species may be on the brink of extinction because of human activity.
Opposition Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, who supported the move, warned that “declaring an emergency means absolutely nothing unless there is action to back it up. That means the government having to do things they don’t want to do.” French President Emmanuel Macron said last year that he would not negotiate trade deals with countries that did not comply with the agreement, which would include the United States.
Meanwhile, Europe’s largest economy, Germany, has since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan been preoccupied with shutting down its nuclear power plants, which has resulted in a revival of coal energy there. Government agencies also insist that they have already made some progress. On Wednesday, Britain’s National Grid Electricity System Operator announced that the country had gone a full week without having to rely on any electricity generated by coal, for the first time since 1882.
While none of those councils have agreed to a common definition of what a “climate emergency” entails, their actions have in fact been more meaningful than the recent declarations by the Irish and British parliaments. Hundreds of cities have taken specific steps to become carbon neutral by 2025, for instance by banning cars in city centers or promoting carbon-neutral houses.
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