FAQs about Climate Emergency

1. When, where and why was the Climate Emergency declared?

On May 1, 2019, the British Parliament declared the state of Climate Emergency. Some claim that this only just represents a mere symbolic act. But we must not forget that the symbols often have been the engines of History. That it was England, the initiator of the Industrial Revolution, which has become the first nation on the planet to declare a Climate Emergency, is already a symbol that says a lot. Immediately Ireland became the second country to declare also the Climate Emergency.

The motion was submitted to Parliament by Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, in favor of an “urgent action to safeguard the health of the planet for the next generations”. The Labor Party made this decision, prompted by the appearance of Greta Thunberg in British Parliament a week ago. The teenager, climate activist leader, appeared before the deputies as follows: “I am 16 years old; I am Swedish, and I have come to speak to you on behalf of future generations”. Her blunt speech, her language of irreverent girl caused different types of reactions in parliamentarians, but what matters is that she achieved her goal.

This was also influenced by the work being done by youth groups in the Extinction Rebellion movement whose most recent actions were the demonstrations that paralyzed central London for ten days. With their fight to stop the increasingly accelerated climate change, they helped make the decision staged in London, raising the climate issue to the first places of British politics.

During the debate in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Theresa May acknowledged the seriousness of the environmental problem but objected to the notion of “climate emergency”. The Environment Minister, Michael Gove, acknowledged the “emergency”, but did not give his support to the Labor motion, which, despite this, was approved with majority support.

FAQs about Climate Emergency

1. When, where and why was the Climate Emergency declared?

2. What are the objectives of the Climate Emergency?

3. What consequences can the declaration of Climate Emergency have?

4. Who is Greta Thunberg?

5. Why was the Climate Emergency inspired by young people?

6. What do you know about UN programs for children, adolescents and young people?

7. What is the “Friday for Future” movement and how did it come about?

8. What do you know about the student strike on 03-15-2019?

9. Is the success of the Paris Agreement linked to national climate emergencies?

10. What is the “Extinction Rebellion” movement?

Others sections of Climate Emergency

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