On Friday 3 December 2021, the Isle of Man Green Party wrote to the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, the Secretary of State for Justice of the UK Government, and the Isle of Man Chief Minister, requesting an explanation for the delay in the granting of Royal Assent to the Climate Change Bill and urging action. The Green Party is concerned that the Government may grant an extension to Crogga’s licence to explore for gas before the Government is bound by its duties under the Climate Change Bill.
Climate Change bill to become Law
On Friday 3 December 2021, the Green Party received a response from His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, Lt General Sir John Lorimor, indicating that the Climate Change Bill is to be declared law at the sitting of the next Tynwald, next Tuesday 14 December 2021. The Lieutenant Governor indicated that his predecessor, Sir Richard Gozney, had recommended the granting of Royal Assent to the Climate Change Bill on 29 May 2021.
The Green Party welcomes the news that the Climate Change Bill will finally be declared law and make the Government subject to duties and obligations to avoid extreme climate change. The Green Party sees that the granting of an extension of Crogga’s licence to explore for gas is wholly incompatible with the Climate Change Bill, Tynwald’s declaration of a climate emergency, and the Paris Agreement that is being extended to the Isle of Man. The Green Party states that the news that the Climate Change Bill is to become law next week should now bring about immediate investments in renewable energy by the Government and end any thoughts about the extraction of fossil fuels in the UNESCO Biosphere island.