In the Irish Times on July 16, Jennie Stephens, Professor of Climate Justice in the ICARUS Climate Research Centre, argues for a justice-centred approach to climate action in Ireland. She and co-author, Orla Kelly from UCD, point out that hypocrisy and misalignments in government policy undermine public trust in climate policies and threaten public buy-in. When private sector interests are so blatantly prioritised over the public needs of Irish households, anger and frustration are inevitable. Such dynamics can undermine social cohesion and contribute to the rise of far-right sentiment. Rather than perpetuating this misalignment and worsening social divisions, they argue that Ireland is uniquely positioned to demonstrate transformative leadership by adopting a justice-oriented approach to climate action. This involves shifting from profit-seeking priorities for some towards wellbeing priorities for all. Rather than constantly striving for expansion, economic growth and the accumulation of wealth, a commitment to climate justice would centre fairness and equity and go beyond technological innovations – such as electric vehicles and solar panels – to focus on regenerative (rather than extractive) investments in people and communities to improve human wellbeing and ecological health.
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