Climate activists march in Dublin as campaigners worldwide hit the streets for global day of action

Climate campaigners have marched in Dublin and Cork demanding an immediate end to investment in fossil fuels.

The demonstrations took place as part of the Global Climate Strike which brought activists onto the streets in hundreds of cities worldwide.

Around 200 people took part in the Dublin event which followed a route from the Garden of Remembrance to Leinster House.

It was organised by the Fridays for Future student movement and supported by the Schools Climate Action Network, Extinction Rebellion, Irish Doctors for the Environment and new group, the Student Climate Coalition.

The coalition is made up of students unions and order student bodies from third level institutions across the country includng Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, University of Galway, University College Cork and the National College of Art and Design.

Nathan Hutchinson Edgar, an environmental science student at Trinity College, said the coalition was formed to strengthen student voices in climate campaigning and give greater visibility to their cause.

He said it was hoped the grouping would inject new energy into the climate movement which struggled to maintain momentum during the Covid restrictions.

“This is the first time we have this group out today so it’s quite a big number for a first time There has been a bit of a stall in the climate movement but I think it’s starting to pick itself back up again,” he said.

He said student bodies had historically pushed for change on social, political and human rights issues and the climate issue needed their attention.

“We’ve achieved quite a lot in that now people know about climate change and most governments are taking it seriously,” he said.

“However they are not taking it seriously enough to actively change the economic and social systems and the agricultural systems that we have in place.

“So I think we’ve won part of the battle in that we’ve got everyone speaking about climate change at least but to take actual proper action we’re going to need more serious consideration of its deep impacts.”

Magdalena Sedlmayer of Fridays for future addressed the Government directly from the podium in a letter to the country’s leaders.

“I ask you to stop allowing new fossil projects when you know that it means establishing new fossil infrastructure that will stay there for decades to come,” she said.

“Instead of leaning into the greed of these companies, we ask you to be the first ones to endorse the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty. Ireland can be a leader in this.”

Roisin Fitzgerald of Irish Doctors for the Environment said the climate crisis was not only an environmental crisis but a human health crisis, with emissions, biodiversity loss and pollution of air and water rendering the planet unhealthy and unsafe.

“’Our lives depend on nature,” she said. “We are a part of nature, not apart from nature.”

The global day of action came at the end of a week in which the International Energy Agency reported that energy related carbon emissions were continuing to rise, reaching a record high at the end of 2022.