{"id":23403,"date":"2021-10-08T11:07:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-08T15:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23403"},"modified":"2021-10-09T11:09:59","modified_gmt":"2021-10-09T15:09:59","slug":"taoiseach-fighting-climate-change-will-require-shared-policies-across-island-of-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23403","title":{"rendered":"Taoiseach: Fighting Climate Change Will Require Shared-Policies Across Island Of Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin with First Minister Paul Givan and deputy First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill at the climate conference (PA Wire\/PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The fight against climate change will need joined-up policy and investment on a cross-Border basis, the Taoiseach has said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miche\u00e1l Martin said there is no more \u201csignificant and common concern\u201d than tackling the generational challenge of climate change in Northern Ireland and the Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Fianna F\u00e1il leader joined Northern Ireland political leaders Paul Givan and Michelle O\u2019Neill for an all-island climate change event in Belfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event discussed what global agreement on climate action means for companies across the island of Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin said the Irish Government has made a \u20ac1 billion cash injection into the Shared Island Fund for collaborative North\/South projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cThere is no more significant and common concern for us on this island, and across these islands, than meeting the generational challenge of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, to be fully effective on climate action, we need joined-up policy approaches and coordinated investment on a cross-Border basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is significant that I am sharing this stage with the First Minister and deputy First Minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut it is also significant that they are here together \u2014 jointly \u2014 to address this important topic for the people of Northern Ireland and of the whole island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is only through the good functioning of the Northern Ireland Executive that the challenges of climate change and Covid recovery can be met by and for the people of Northern Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Givan said there has been evident changes in recent decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that the average temperature in Northern Ireland has risen by nearly 1% from the mid-70s to the mid-2010s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClimate change was not a concept that had much currency a century ago, but nevertheless it was real,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRainfall in Northern Ireland has increased by over 6%, hard to believe in this part of the world you can get even more rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis year we saw the highest temperatures on record on the season and the seas around us are rising and weather events, that once thought extreme, are increasingly common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs we gather today, we are united in our promise to the next generation that we must do all we can to preserve this place as their future home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur shared experience of the Covid-19 global pandemic has shown us that when we join together, we can find solutions that are for the good of humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deputy First Minister Ms O\u2019Neill stressed the importance of working on a cross-border basis, saying that climate does not recognize borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sinn F\u00e9in deputy leader said that colossal changes are happening every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe devastating impact of climate and how it unfolds is being felt right across the world,\u201d Ms O\u2019Neill added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that whenever you look at things like the increase in sea levels, the extreme weather, famine, disease, threat to food security, conflict, people being forced to flee their homes to take refuge, the evidence is very, very clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that the issues that we face are political, they\u2019re economic and they are societal challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat means that it\u2019s going to take leadership on all of our parts to be able to work our way through all of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope that today shows a very clear demonstration, that at a political level, the leaders of government in the North, the Taoiseach being here, us all standing together to say that we recognize the seriousness of the challenge that we face, but also our commitment to tackling that and doing something about it, which is more important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Share this:<\/h3>