IPU launches new campaign ‘Parliaments for the Planet’ on climate action

IPU launches new campaign ‘Parliaments for the Planet’ on climate action

GENEVA,14th March, 2023 (WAM) – The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has launched a new campaign called "Parliaments for the Planet" with the aim of motivating parliaments and parliamentarians to take action on the climate emergency. The campaign was introduced during the 146th IPU Assembly held in Manama, Bahrain and was attended by parliamentarians from around 130 countries.

The campaign has two parts. The first part emphasises the importance of parliaments and parliamentarians leading by example and reducing their carbon footprint. The IPU has created a guide called "10 Actions for Greener Parliaments (and those who work in them)" to support them in this effort. The guide includes measures such as tracking the parliament's emissions and establishing targets to reduce them, transitioning to renewable energy, implementing green procurement practices, and adopting digitalisation.

Parliamentarians are also encouraged to become climate champions by raising awareness about the issue among their constituents and working across party lines to speed up the implementation of green policies, both within and outside parliament.

The second part of the campaign is focused on empowering parliaments and parliamentarians to create effective climate change legislation, vote on necessary budgets, and scrutinize government action, particularly in the area of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to