Dubliners are urged to be ‘climate brave’

DUBLIN has become the first Irish city to sign a commitment to meet WHO air quality guideline values by 2030.

In a rare joint pledge, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin and mayors of the other three Dublin local authorities have signed up to the BreatheLife campaign and called on all Dubliners to be ‘Climate Brave’.

By signing up to the campaign, Dublin is joining 76 cities, regions, and countries around the globe in demonstrating a commitment to bring air quality to safe levels by 2030.

The Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Tom Brabazon, is calling on all Dubliners to be ‘Climate Brave’.

“Hitting the target in the BreatheLife campaign will involve difficult and potentially unpopular decisions,” he said.

“So we’ll all need to be brave if we’re to make the right decisions for our city.”

Immediately following the signing, the four signatories of the pledge took part in a landmark event at the Mansion House to identify how the combined resources engaged in climate change action can be harnessed to bring about meaningful improvement in the quality of life for all the citizens of Dublin.

The signatories believe that we need to allocate more road space to walking, cycling and public transport; move away from burning solid and fossil fuels to heat our homes; and make choosing the right choices simple and economically viable for everybody.

An invited audience of national and regional policy makers, officials, researchers and stakeholders attended the event.

The cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Cllr Shay Brennan, said: “Protecting the environment in our part of Dublin and mitigating our local impact on climate change has been a cornerstone of our policies in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown in recent years.

“Like all the other cities involved in this important campaign, our council will continue to promote the goals promoted by BreatheLife goals and improve the air quality for all the people who live and work in our area.”

 “There are 7 million deaths around the world every year from air pollution. By signing this commitment, Dublin is joining with cities and regions around the world in saying we want to be ‘Climate Brave’.