One Future Campaign Launch

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One Future Campaign Launch

The National Women’s Council, Concern Worldwide and USI are among organisations joining forces for faster and fairer climate action

January 22 2020, 02:35pm

One Future, a new campaign group calling for faster and fairer climate action launched today, Wednesday, 22nd January 2020 at an event on Sandymount Strand, Dublin 4. Concern, The Union of Students in Ireland and National Women’s Council of Ireland are among the civil society organisations joining forces to highlight climate as a central priority for voters in the upcoming election.

The campaign is encouraging people to challenge election candidates on the doorstep about their climate action plans. The recent Government plan foresees emissions reductions of only two per cent a year when the very least Ireland needs to do is eight per cent a year.

One Future will be providing colourful ‘Ask Cards’ people can hand to candidates with key policy asks, and window stickers to tell canvassers they support faster and fairer climate action. The campaign will also be supporting people who want to go door-to-door to distribute campaign materials and encourage their neighbours to raise climate issues with candidates who call to the door.

The campaign is continuously growing and is calling on all organisations

Policy ‘Asks’

The campaign has nine key policy ‘asks’ of soon-to-be elected TDs and Senators, which focus on accelerating a transition to a sustainable society in a way that ensures no-one is left behind. The key policy asks for the incoming Oireachtas include:

  • Reduce Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 8% every year;
  • Support the rural economy as farms reduce emissions and become more sustainable;
  • Ban new fossil fuel projects;
  • End peat and coal burning for electricity and ensure fair treatment of workers;
  • Deliver an ambitious State-backed home insulation programme;
  • Advocate internationally for faster and fairer climate action and justice;
  • Restore and protect nature and wildlife;
  • Ensure affordable and accessible public transport for all; and
  • Enable and support community-owned renewable energy projects.

Speaking today at the launch of the event today, Oisin Coghlan, a spokesperson for One Future said: “One Future is a people’s campaign to turn the tables on election candidates. We want to empower people to challenge politicians to commit to faster and fairer climate action.

“Recent studies show that 89% Irish adults say we need to take action now on environment, while 60% of adults say prioritising climate action is very important. With One Future, we want to highlight how great a priority climate action is for the electorate, to election candidates.

“Every party is paying lip service to climate action in this election. One Future will help people test whether politicians are promising to do enough and whether they are promising to make sure what they do is fair.

“Climate action is not a trade off with better public services. Climate action is about better public services. It is not a trade off with job creation and economic opportunity; it is about job creation and economic opportunity.

“It will require serious Government investment to transform our transport, housing and energy systems, especially in public transport, social housing and community energy. It will bring immediate in the shape of warmer homes, better bus, train, cycling and walking infrastructure, and opportunities to share in the ownership of the energy system that will power our future.

“We’re looking forward to a busy few weeks in the lead up to 8th February making #ClimateVote2020 the talking point of the general election.”

Upcoming Events

During the next three weeks, One Future will be staging a number of events including:

  • A canvas of Fianna Fail & Fine Gael HQ on Friday, 24thJanuary;
  • A hustings event in Co. Cork on Wednesday, 29thJanuary; and
  • A number of further events will be taking place around Ireland, with details to be announced soon.

The campaign is continuously growing and is calling on organisations, from all sectors, with an interest in effecting real change to join.

ENDS

Notes to Editors: 

Statistics drawn from:

‘89% Irish adults say we need to take action now on environment’ - Consumer Sustainability Tracking by RED C 
‘60% of adults say prioritising climate action is very important’ - The issues which will matter in 2020, compiled by Core Research 

About One Future

One Future is The People’s Campaign for Faster and Fairer Climate Action by Government to deliver the positive transformation we need this decade to prevent climate breakdown. The campaign highlights the necessity for State investment in energy, transport, housing, food and economic systems that have zero climate impact. As well as reducing emissions, these investments will improve public services and promote greater equality and social justice. Then Ireland can use this country’s influence internationally, to become a powerful voice for faster and fairer global climate action.

Follow One Future at:

Twitter: @OneFutureIre
Facebook: @OneFutureIre
Instagram: @OneFutureIre

#ClimateVote2020

Campaign Supporters

 

The full list of campaign supporters at the time of launch is:

An Taisce - the National Trust for Ireland, AnnaB.ie, Aran Islands Energy Co-operative, BirdWatch Ireland, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Cork Climate Action, Cultivate / Sustainable Ireland Cooperative, Cyclist.ie, Django's Hostel, Dóchas – the Irish Association of Non-Governmental Development Organizations, The Environmental Pillar, Faiths for Climate Action, Foodture, Fridays for Future, Friends of the Earth, Irish Doctors for Environment, Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, Just Forests, Love Leitrm, Not Here Not Anywhere, National Women’s Council of Ireland, Oxfam Ireland, Safety before LNG, Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, Sustainable Projects Ireland, The Bike Circus - Clonakilty, Tipperary Energy Agency, Tuistí Don Todhchaí / Parents For Future Ireland, Union of Students in Ireland, Voice Of Irish Concern For The Environment, Wicklow Planning Alliance.