Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan has welcomed the passing of the Climate emergency motion at a sitting of the Assembly at Stormont.
Mr. McGuigan who was one of the proposers of the motion said:
“This motion has called on Executive Ministers to urgently implement commitments on climate action contained in the ‘New Decade, New Approach’ document particularly to bring forward legislation in a Climate Act and to set up an Independent Environment agency here in the North. We need to become serious and put action into our commitments on trying to reduce global warming and other negative impacts on our Climate and environment.
“We need to transition to a cleaner, more efficient, and more cooperative society. First and foremost we must change the ways in which we consume energy, including heating and powering our homes and communities, and through our travel habits.
“We need an innovative and modern Public Transport Authority for the north. We need strong and effective Active Travel Legislation. And we need a strategy, and the necessary funding, to rapidly grow and decarbonise our public transport fleet.
“The action we need will also involve a change in all of our public services.
“Powering our health system with clean energy, retrofitting homes to conserve heat and money, and educating young people on the benefits of more sustainable lifestyles, will improve the quality of life for everyone while creating a greener and fairer economy.
“This must be led by government. People cannot make these changes, without being given the alternatives”
