#parlimentarians

135 years later, the IPU is the parliament of parliaments, a thriving international organization made up of 180 national parliaments and open to all 46,000 parliamentarians in the world.

IPU International Day of Parliamentarism

On the occasion of the International Day of Parliamentarism 2024, the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation shared its compliments to the IPU and encouraged the strengthening of parliamentary dialogue as a way to work towards more peaceful and mutually beneficial relations among nations.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus sent their congratulations to the IPU on the occasion of the International Day of Parliamentarism 2024, reiterating that parliaments play an important role in promoting constructive dialogue and de-escalating tensions in inter-state relations.

Mrs. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, addressed the importance of parliaments which, in her own words, are the cornerstone of democracy, in a video from the European Parliament for International Day of Parliamentarism 2024.

To mark the International Day of Parliamentarism, the Parliament of Nepal is planning a celebration on June 30 to enhance, educate and inform parliamentary democracy, and express Nepal's solidarity with initiatives of the IPU at the global level, including the Parliaments4thePlanet campaign. A tree planting and distribution of food to the elderly is also planned.

Paraguay joined celebrations of the International Day of Parliamentarism 2024 by issuing a declaration from the Honorable Chamber of Deputies for the 135th anniversary of the foundation of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report is sobering reading- and should galvanize action around the world. Parliamentarians are on the frontline. 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. It gives regular updates on a sliding scale of scenarios for our global habitat, informed by the actions - or inaction - of the world’s governments.

The latest synthesis report, published in February 2023, warns that the window of opportunity to limit global warming to no more than 1.5⁰C is closing fast. Reaching a stage where human-caused emissions are at net zero by 2050 is still only the best-case scenario –yet most experts agree that this will be a minimum to have a chance of allowing the planet to stay below 2⁰C of global warming.

The IPCC is unequivocal: fossil fuels must be made extinct and never revived: existing or planned fossil fuel infrastructure would, by itself, use up our carbon budget for 1.5⁰C or even 2⁰C. So, to stay below 1.5⁰C of warming as called for by the Paris Agreement, we need to slash CO₂ emissions by 45% by 2030. 

Taking preventative action now is better than seeking solutions in the future. As the IPCC’s Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit puts it: Avoiding a tonne of CO₂ today will almost always be easier and cheaper than sucking out CO₂ from the atmosphere later this century.

We must prioritize cutting human-caused emissions, along with offsetting future emissions with carbon sequestration measures.

Where to start

Parliamentarians are key players when it comes to climate action. Legislation is a vital engine for driving national action on climate change. Support and leadership for MPs has never been more important. 

The IPU’s Parliaments for the Planet campaign is a good starting point. The concept of the campaign is simple. Climate action begins at home. Parliaments and parliamentarians can already take steps to reduce their own carbon footprints – as well as more transformative action through legislation, budgets and scrutiny of measures to implement the Paris Agreement.

To help them, the IPU has identified 10 Actions for Greener Parliaments, which parliamentarians can consider as they work to foster a culture of sustainable change.

Room for optimism

The IPCC’s 6th synthesis report is a warning. But it also offers hope, if action is taken.

It tells us that rapid decarbonization is not just right for the planet; it is cost-effective. The tools for shifting away from fossil fuels already exist and falling costs are making a sound business case for clean energy. 

Other good news: climate policies are strengthening. The dual power of government and business is beginning to steer us away from the bleakest future outcomes.

Here are 5 key takeaways from the IPCC report: