'Our House Is On Fire': EU Parliament Declares Climate Emergency

SBS - AAP

The European parliament has made a symbolic move to declare a global climate emergency in a bid to force member states into action.

European politicians have voted to declare an EU-wide climate emergency. Source: AP

A "climate emergency" has been declared by the European Union's legislature in a symbolic bid to push the issue as high as possible on the agenda of the EU's executive team.
The parliament in Strasbourg, France, voted by 429 to 225, with 19 abstentions, to call the increasing environmental challenges linked to climate change an emergency.
Renew Europe MEP Pascal Canfin, who initiated the move, said it made Europe "the first continent to declare a climate and environmental emergency".
Mr Canfin said the parliament is meeting the expectations of European citizens.

Climate activists in Berlin earlier this month. AAP

But environmental campaigners said the declaration was not backed by sufficient action.
“Our house is on fire. The European parliament has seen the blaze, but it’s not enough to stand by and watch,” said Greenpeace’s EU climate policy adviser, Sebastian Mang, shortly before the vote.
The EU has long been at the forefront of the global climate debate, a role that has been reinforced since the United States pulled out of the Paris climate agreement.
With increasingly erratic weather patterns from wildfires in Australia to floods in Europe being linked to climate change, governments are under scrutiny to find urgent solutions at the United Nations' summit in Spain on December 2-13.
Dissenters objected to the word "emergency", saying it was too drastic, and "urgency" would suffice.

Day 16. In the middle of the ocean I’m struck by the news that the EU Parliament has declared a climate emergency.
We can’t solve a crisis without treating it as one. Let’s hope they now take drastic sufficient action.
Join the #climatestrike to put pressure on them! pic.twitter.com/PcWPU8yowf

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) November 28, 2019

Frustrated scientists and activists warn that despite such declarations, action is still lagging to hit the Paris Agreement target of curbing emissions enough to keep temperature rises to within 1.5-2 degrees celsius of pre-industrial levels.
However, the EU parliament's vote should help shape policies for the bloc's incoming executive head, Ursula von der Leyen, who assumes office on December 1.
The 28-nation EU is the first multilateral bloc to call a climate emergency, but joins numerous individual countries and cities from Argentina and Canada to New York and Sydney.

Links

• European Commission's new boss Ursula von der Leyen pledges climate focus
• European Parliament declares climate emergency
• 'Our house is on fire': EU parliament declares climate emergency 
• Scientists warn world is approaching climate tipping points
• NSW bushfires are the EU's largest emergency mapping operation of 2019
• Climate Emergency: World 'May Have Crossed Tipping Points’
• Climate Crisis: 11,000 Scientists Warn Of ‘Untold Suffering’
• John Hewson Slams Coalition On Climate Change While Business Takes Lead Reducing Emissions
• Climate Emergency Declarations In 1,123 Jurisdictions And Local Governments Cover 285 Million Citizens
• More Than 370,000 Sign E-Petition For Climate Emergency Declaration
• 'Grand Symbolic Gesture': Attempt To Declare A Climate Emergency Fails In Parliament
• Greta Thunberg Condemns World Leaders In Emotional Speech At UN
• Climate Disasters To Leave 150 Million In Humanitarian Need By 2030: Red Cross
• Why Declaring A National Climate Emergency Would Neither Be Realistic Or Effective
• John Hewson Urges Liberal Conscience Vote On Climate Emergency