Tree sapling in a tree nursery
Removing weeds from tree saplings at a tree nursery in Kenya.
Photo:© FAO/Luis Tato

Parliaments for the Planet

Climate action begins at home. Parliaments and those who work in them can take concrete steps to reduce their carbon footprint, both as institutions and individuals. By adopting greener policies and embracing a culture of sustainability, parliaments and parliamentarians can help address the climate crisis and pave the way for stronger climate action.

Climate change is killing people and destroying lives, development, peace and security all over the world. The IPU helps parliaments make progress on the Paris Agreement as well as other climate treaties, accelerate decarbonization and reduce the carbon footprint within parliaments themselves through its research, tools and meetings. As a first step, they can decarbonize their place of work by putting in place the IPU’s 10 actions for greener parliaments (and those who work in them).

Global report greener parliaments

10 actions for greener parliaments

Parliaments and parliamentarians must lead by example before preaching to the people. These actions cover three categories: institutionalizing the greening of parliament, greening the way parliaments and their members work, and leading and fostering a culture of sustainable change. Climate action begins at home.

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Background

The International Day of Parliamentarism is celebrated every year on 30 June, the date in 1889 on which the IPU was founded. The Day was established in 2018 through a United Nations General Assembly Resolution.

Instituting an international day for parliaments is particularly important at this critical time for parliamentary democracy, when people are losing trust in political institutions and democracy itself is facing challenges from populist and nationalist movements. If democracy is to thrive, then parliaments, as the cornerstone of functioning democracies, need to be strong, transparent, accountable and representative.

The International Day of Parliamentarism is a time to review the progress that parliaments have made in achieving some key goals to be more representative and move with the times, including carrying out self-assessments, working to include more women and young MPs, and adapting to new technologies.

The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/72/278, recognized the role of parliaments in national plans and strategies and in ensuring greater transparency and accountability at national and global levels.

 

 

Parliaments and parliamentary organizations played an active role throughout the negotiations on the post-2015 development framework, advocating strongly, for instance, for the inclusion of SDGs related to democratic governance. Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals is dedicated to taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

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Watch

134 years in 134 seconds

The international Day of Parliamentarism is also the anniversary of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. How did the IPU grow from a handful of parliamentarians from 9 countries who met for the first time on 30 June 1889 to become the global organization of parliaments? Discover the IPU's 134-year history in 134 seconds.

Campaign

IPU logo for greener parliaments

My parliament, my planet !

Parliaments for the Planet is designed to mobilize parliaments and parliamentarians to act on the climate emergency. Learn how your parliament can lead by example.

Resources

Close-up of two young girls against older women in the background

Half the world’s population is under 30 and yet only 2.6% of MPs globally represent this age group. The IPU has identified the six ways below to change this. Please take two minutes to pick one or more pledge(s) to make your parliament younger!

I say yes!
Cover image for the global parliamentary report 2022

This third global parliamentary report is focused on public participation in the work of parliament. The data, conclusions and recommendations contained in the report outline a way forward to strengthen this link between the public on the one hand and parliaments and parliamentarians on the other, actively working with the community to build participatory, inclusive and responsive parliaments.

an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.