PRESS RELEASE
Brussels
10 November 2019
Green parties from across Europe meeting in Tampere Finland for our bi-annual Council meeting have pledged to build a far-reaching campaign to transform climate emergency declarations into concrete action to speed up the process towards climate neutrality. The agreement was made following the approval of a resolution tabled by the Europeaan Green Party (EGP) and the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG)
Climate emergency declarations have been issued by jurisdictions covering close to 300 million people. At the country level, these include the UK, Ireland, Austria, Portugal, Canada and Argentina.
Reacting to approval of the resolution, the newly elected co-chair of the European Thomas Waitz said:
“Today Green parties from across Europe have come together to urge governments at all levels to not just declare a climate emergency but take concrete and substantial action.
“There is no longer any doubt that if we do not act now our very future is in peril. We must reach climate neutrality as soon as we can. In order to do this, we need to deliver concrete cross-sector solutions. All political actors together with the business world must now converge around this goal so we can attempt to preserve our planet for future generations.”
European Green Party co-chair Evelyne Huytebroeck said:
“It’s time we pulled back the curtain on a system that puts people before profit. Too often it’s the poorest in society that suffer most from climate destruction and our goal will be to make sure it’s the polluters, not the people who pick up the bill.
“Over the past few months we’ve witnessed a huge global uprising demanding far-reaching Green change with many putting their trust in us by voting Green. As well a declaring climate emergencies we need to push for legally-binding measures that hold governments to account such as the zero-carbon law recently passed in New Zealand.
"Before the COP in Madrid, we need to make sure countries respect their Paris Agreement engagements and raise their ambition not only for 2050 but today. This struggle will define our generation and we must face our responsibilities head on. I am sure Greens are on the right side of history."
BACKGROUND: The European Green Party is holding its bi-annual Council in Tampere, Finland between 8-10 together with our hosts the Finnish Greens, Vihreät - De Gröna. It includes keynote speeches by the leader of the Finnish Greens, Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto as well as interventions from academics, Greens from around Europe and public figures. Among an array of special guests at the Council is the Commissioner-designate for the Environment and Oceans portfolio, Virginijus Sinkevičius. The "Green Campaign: from Climate Emergency to Climate Neutrality" is part of a series of resolutions seeking Europe-wide approval.
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Paul Nolan
E paul.nolan@europeangreens.eu
M +32 475 94 69 81
T +32 2 626 07 26
European Green Party
Rue Wiertz 31, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
www.europeangreens.eu
