Youth Assembly on Climate delegates present recommendations to President of the UN General Assembly
“157 people can change the world. Good ideas come from all sources and these ideas are so important because they are practical. I will be sure to share these with partners in the UN system.” President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande
Watch: https://youtu.be/eAVHUDPnt1o
Delegates from the RTÉ Youth Assembly on Climate met with the President of the UN General Assembly today to present him with their statement and ten recommendations to tackle the climate crisis.
Eight representatives of the Youth Assembly asked President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande to take their recommendations back to the UN General Assembly in New York following their meeting today at the Castleknock Hotel on Porterstown Road in Dublin 15.
The recommendations were developed and voted through by the RTÉ Youth Assembly on Friday 15th November – the first ever Youth Assembly on Climate which convened in Dáil Éireann with 157 delegates from all over the Republic of Ireland between the ages of 10 and 17.
The RTÉ Youth Assembly event was chaired by Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl as part of the Dáil 100 celebrations. It was viewed live on RTÉ2 News2day and RTÉ News Now as well as Oireachtas TV by many including children in schools throughout the country.
To date over 7,800 people have endorsed the RTÉ Youth Assembly’s recommendations on rte.ie/youthassembly
The Youth Assembly delegation today included Kian Oliver (16) from Navan in Co. Meath, Beth Doherty (16) from Balbriggan in Co. Dublin, Harry Bogan (12) from Ratoath in Co. Meath, Yvonne Farrell (16) from Kilcock in Co. Kildare, Aine Dempsey (16) from Ennis in Co. Clare, Conor Gannon (16) from Ballinagh in Co. Cavan, Salim Kajani (15) from Dublin, Cian Walsh (14) from Bandon in Co. Cork.
The 10 Recommendations voted at the RTÉ Youth Assembly on Climate:
1. From the corner store to the super market – to incentivise and obligate the installation of glass doors on open refrigerators.
2. For Ireland to ban the importation of fracked gas and invest solely in renewables.
3. Implement measures that will allow Irish goods to be both eco-sustainable and affordable in today’s Irish Market.
4. Implement a tiered Tax on Emissions from large companies including those under capital ETS. This tax must be increased every year while the threshold decreases, shifting the burden from individuals to corporations.
5. Investment in industrial hemp processing facilities to provide a viable, sustainable and alternative land use for farmers as well as employment in rural Ireland.
6. A labelling and pricing system showing the climate impact of food products based on criteria such as impact of packaging and distance travelled.
7. Ireland to outlaw acts of ecocide – being the widespread and systematic loss of ecosystems including climate and cultural damage.
8. Protect existing forests and make compulsory that at least 10% of all land owned for agricultural use is dedicated to forestry.
9. A targeted nationwide information campaign to educate the population about the climate crisis with regard to causes, effects and the solutions.
10. Mandatory “Sustainability” education from primary level to the workplace including a new compulsory Junior Cycle & optional Leaving Certificate subject.
The public can still endorse the recommendations at: rte.ie/youthassembly