Press Release
September 24, 2019 • 2 min read
"Goal CEO, Siobhán Walsh, was part of the Irish delegation that attended the Youth Climate Summit and the UN Climate Action Summit in New York this week. Following these important events, this is what Ms Walsh had to say."
GOAL CEO, Siobhán Walsh and Irish Youth Representative Jack O’Connor
Following the Climate Action Summti in New York, GOAL, Siobhán Walsh has welcomed the Taoiseach’s pledge on climate change made at today’s UN Climate Action Summit – but warned there is no time for inaction if we are to avoid a hot earth scenario.
Speaking from New York, Siobhan Walsh said: “International relief and development agencies see the realities and impact of our changing climate on vulnerable communities around the world. The scale of this crisis requires a new level of pragmatic discussion and immediacy of action. This was the tone set very clearly by young people at the first ever Global Youth Climate Summit on Saturday. Their message to the world was clear: We don’t need wasteful rhetoric or long speeches – we need action now.”
Ms Walsh said: “The Secretary General of the UN re-emphasised here on Saturday the serious conflict between our way of life and our planet, and indicated his intention to get world leaders to clearly define their commitments. The scale of this global crisis was summed up appropriately by climate scientist Professor John who said science is seriously considering proclaiming a state of planetary emergency.”
She added:“From the ground up, resilience must be embedded into the heart of programming so that communities have the capacity to deal with shocks and stresses, which will only become more intense and more frequent in the years ahead. But to help communities to build their own resilience, we need to ensure we include a focus on nature-based solutions, and that we invest in training communities. This is fundamental to any action plan for change. “
Ms Walsh concluded: “Ireland’s commitment to a serious action plan to prevent irreversible climate change, as outlined by the Taoiseach here, is a very positive step forward. We may be a small Island, but today at the UN Ireland is certainly playing its part in influencing change to create a better world. Every Irish citizen has a role to play in supporting our Government to deliver on this commitment. There’s too much at stake. “
