The climate emergency is the single greatest threat our world faces. 

From record temperatures in the 30s and water shortages one day to torrential thunderstorms and flooding the next. If anyone needed it, the extreme weather events being experienced here and around the world are a stark wake up call to the climate crisis and the urgency of acting now to protect our environment. This is no challenge for our children or grandchildren, if we want to save our world, it demands our immediate attention today.

Like Covid, the climate crisis knows no border. It is the seismic global challenge of our generation with serious economic, environmental and humanitarian consequences if we don’t get it right. Political leaders across this island and across the world need to demonstrate that our will to work together to take on this crisis is strong enough to overcome any narrow political differences we may have.

The SDLP has a strategy for change. 

Colum Eastwood MP has tabled radical new legislation at Westminster, taking the lead on reducing carbon emissions and compelling the biggest companies to pay for climate action. His bill would:

• Declare a Climate Emergency.
• Bring forward the date by which the UK must achieve net zero.
• Place a duty on the British Government to introduce proposals for a Green Corporate Levy on the largest companies to resource climate action.
• Place a duty on the British Government to bring forward a Green Jobs strategy.

In the Northern Ireland Executive, SDLP Minister Nichola Mallon has taken the lead on climate action, committing more than £60m in green investment in rail, approving clean energy projects like the 36MW wind farm at Corlacky and successfully proposing the North's first climate summit to be held before COP26 in Glasgow. 

In the Assembly, Mark H Durkan MLA is co-sponsoring Northern Ireland's first climate change legislation that will implement robust emissions reduction targets in law. Dolores Kelly MLA is also bringing forward legislation that will recognise the biodiversity and habitat crisis by introducing new regulations aimed at preventing habitat loss. 

⚠️ The need to take action to protect, restore and enhance nature has never been more urgent ⚠️@doloreskelly is bringing forward an Environment and Nature Restoration Bill to protect our biodiversity.

Respond to our survey before 8th March 2021 https://t.co/NTgAxMbdDC pic.twitter.com/uCGrm5KOQk

— Social Democratic and Labour Party (@SDLPlive) January 11, 2021

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