Members of the NI Assembly are set to debate on whether to declare a climate emergency next week.

The upcoming debate on Monday 27 January will give all political parties the the opportunity to commit to tackling the climate and biodiversity crises.

Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald, who proposed the motion, has spoke ahead of the event with the hope of securing cross-party support.

"It is an opportunity for the Assembly to send a clear signal on the urgent action required to meet the challenge of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures," she said.

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"This target needs to be achieved by the end of this century to prevent catastrophic consequences for the planet.

"Over the past year we have seen increasing activism that has ensured the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis are at the heart of the political agenda.

"We need to do more than pay lip service to these crises; we need urgent, radical and concerted action if we are to reverse the trend of warming and emissions.

"The New Decade New Approach agreement made a number of commitments to address the climate emergency.

"Our motion on Monday also calls on the Ministers responsible to urgently implement those commitments." 

(CM/JG)