Cllr Durkan: Climate breakdown must be recognised as an ’emergency’ and a ‘crisis’

SDLP Foyleside Councillor Mary Durkan says it is imperative that the DAERA Minister and his officials accept that we are facing a climate emergency and global crisis.

She has called for due urgency and necessary resource allocations to be applied by the wider Executive in bringing forward Climate legislation and relevant strategies.

Miss Durkan’s comments follow last week’s indicative remarks made by DAERA Minister Edwin Poots questioning the urgency for such legislation.

Derry City and Strabane District Council backed a motion moved by Miss Durkan calling for the Minister and Executive to bring forward Climate legislation and relevant strategies and establish an independent environmental protection agency in line with commitments given in New Decade New Approach.

Said Miss Durkan: “Climate Emergency is very real.

“The scientific evidence points to catastrophic effects of rising temperatures in the absence of drastic behavioural change to reduce carbon emissions.

“Many of our towns and cities will be submerged by rising sea levels.

“People in communities across the North already feel the effects of poor air quality.

“Long-term exposure to air pollution is increasingly linked to respiratory illness, heart conditions and early death.

“The window of opportunity here is small. According to climate scientists, we only have a decade before the effects of climate breakdown become irreversible.

“Due urgency must be applied by the Minister and the wider Executive.

“Climate Emergency is cross-cutting and cross-departmental and calls for a collective approach. Legislation here is overdue and the North is lagging behind neighbouring jurisdictions.”

Cllr Durkan added: “The Executive must listen to and act on scientific evidence on climate breakdown in the same way that that Ministers and officials have acted on the scientific and medical evidence relating to Covid-19.

“Building back better from the pandemic must prioritise addressing climate emergency and stopping biodiversity loss. We need the political will to be there to achieve this.”

Miss Durkan’s motion passed by Council also called for co-ordination between the Executive and local councils, with the appointment of a “Sustainability champion” within Council’s Planning department.

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