Last month, the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill passed through the Dáil, which would make Ireland the first nation in the world to divest itself of investments in the fossil fuel industry. Campaigning for change was led by Trócaire, Stop Climate Chaos (SCC) and Global Legal Action Network. Francesca Franzetti is County Leitrim Cool Champion and volunteer with Good Energies Alliance Ireland, which is part of the Stop Climate Chaos group. She spoke to STAND News about the success of the project and her hopes for the future of climate action in Ireland.

Why do you think the movement was successful? Do you think Irish legislators are willing to improve Ireland’s environmental impact?
What has made (and will be making) a tremendous difference is online campaigning. During the the Dáil debate, it was highlighted how TDs have been inundated with thousands of emails generated by the online petitions. It shows us that even a tiny gesture such as clicking to sign a petition to express your opinion counts.

It was absolutely overwhelming to witness the unanimous support to this bill of all political sides from a full gallery that day! I believe nowadays there is a much greater awareness among politicians about the changing climate. What is missing is to effectively communicate the urgency for climate action. This is not something we can afford to postpone.

Realistically, are there any guarantees as to when, if ever, we will actually sell our investments in the fossil fuel industry?
Negotiators had to allow a certain degree of flexibility in order to reach a compromise with the Department of Finance on some sections and terminology used, otherwise the bill’s progress could have been undermined. Once the bill becomes law, the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund has a legal obligation to comply. Hopefully, other pieces of legislation will move forwards, such as the Climate Emergency Measures Bill.

On the international stage, where does Ireland rank?
Ireland is set to be the first country in the world to divest public money for fossil fuels. So far our international reputation has been damaged, being rightfully exposed as a climate laggard. The National Mitigation Plan, strongly defended by the Department of Climate Action and Environment, and defined as a “living document”, totally lacks teeth and strong targets.

Ireland is still the the highest emitter of CO2 emissions in Europe and is ranked as the second-worst performing EU country in tackling climate change. Furthermore, we are going to meet only 1 percent of the 20 percent target set for 2020.

 

Photo by Karsten Würth (@inf1783) on Unsplash

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