In August, Climate Camp 2024 Ireland took place at Ardboe, beside Lough Neagh in Ulster. The camp brought together environmental campaigners, community members, and political activists in a show of solidarity, aiming to promote “slí eile” – another way forward. Some members of DiEM25 attended, participating in various activities and actions throughout the event.
The camp was co-organised with local campaigns resisting industries that harm the environment, such as intensive animal farming, which pollutes Lough Neagh, and the proposed gold mining in the Sperrins Mountains. These industries are seen as major threats to both the environment and local communities.
Fighting gold mining in the Sperrins
One of the key groups at the camp was Save Our Sperrins (SOS), which is continuing the fight against plans for a gold mine in the Sperrins Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Ulster. The Canadian company Dalradian Gold wants to establish a large mine in the area, which the community fears will bring toxic pollution. The mine would generate waste, including harmful chemicals like arsenic and mercury, and create a massive dump site near local homes, schools, and community spaces.
In talks, co-hosted with ‘CAIM (Communities Against the Injustice of Mining), SOS shared that they are raising funds to hire legal experts to represent their case in a government public inquiry into the gold mine. They described their fight as a “David and Goliath battle,” with the well-funded mining company on one side and ordinary people in a rural community with limited resources on the other. Despite these challenges, they remain determined to protect their environment and oppose the mine, which they say threatens water quality, air quality, public health, and community cohesion.
Environmental threats of water abstraction
Another major concern raised by SOS is Dalradian Gold’s latest planning application to abstract (remove) water from local rivers and streams. This water would be used for mining operations and then discharged back into the environment, potentially leading to pollution and disruption of aquatic ecosystems. The community fears this could harm sensitive species, including Ireland’s only globally endangered species, the freshwater pearl mussel.
In addition to the direct environmental damage, SOS warned that removing large amounts of water could dry out local peatlands, increase carbon emissions, and worsen flooding risks. These effects would also negatively impact local agriculture and water supplies for the community. The community group is engaged in a mass campaign to stop planning permission being granted for this.
The fracking debate: Gas imports to Ireland north and south
Another key issue discussed at the camp was the import of fracked gas from the United States. Fracking, a controversial method of extracting fossil fuels, has long been opposed and successfully halted by environmental groups in Ireland. Previously, the Irish government had also committed to not importing gas obtained through fracking. However, recent developments have raised concerns.
Last November, when publishing the government’s Energy Security Strategy, the Irish government announced plans for a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) storage terminal. This was despite earlier promises not to import fracked gas. Environmental groups strongly oppose this plan contrary to the Green Party Minister for the Environment assertion that they ‘had no issue with it’. They believe it contradicts Ireland’s commitments to reducing fossil fuel use. They fear the government is using concerns about energy security and supposed threats to gas pipelines to push through the LNG terminal, pressuring environmental groups to accept the plan.
This is all in the context where the Irish government is pressing ahead with aligning Ireland more with the US led NATO/EU political and military machinery. In line with this the Dáil (National Assembly) recently voted for a plan to allow Ireland to join an EU military initiative to ‘defend’ critical seabed infrastructure. At the camp, the campaigners expressed frustration that the government is using ‘a false narrative’ to try to get environmental groups to accede to a shift in policy, which they argue could pave the way for greater reliance on fossil fuels and increased environmental harm.
Action against racism
In addition to environmental activism, participants at the camp also engaged in social justice causes. One significant action involved joining a rally and a counter-protest against an anti-immigration demonstration in Belfast. While the anti-immigration protesters carried signs with slogans like “Send them home,” the counter-protesters, including Climate Camp participants, stood in solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers. At the rally and counter-protest trade union banners and signs with anti-racism messages were displayed, along with the raising of chants of “When migrant lives are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back” and “Belfast is anti-fascist”. Outnumbering the anti-immigration bigots, they sent a clear message that those from abroad who are seeking safety or a living in Ireland should not be scapegoated for broader social and economic problems.
Tackling ecocide at Lough Neagh
A major theme of the camp was the environmental crisis at Lough Neagh (Loch nEachach), Ireland’s largest lake. The lake has suffered from pollution, largely due to industrial agriculture. Discussion groups at the camp explored how prioritising economic growth in agriculture and industry over environmental protection has led to the lake’s ecological collapse. Intensive industrial agriculture is not only the main source of pollution in Lough Neagh but is also a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss across Ireland.
On the final day of the camp, participants took direct action on this issue outside the Moy Park factory in Craigavon, County Armagh. This is a large agribusiness, which is one of Ireland’s biggest companies and a major supplier of chicken products across Europe. More than 100 activists took part and some simulated vomiting outside the factory to symbolise the environmental damage caused by factory farming, particularly its role in polluting Lough Neagh and accelerating climate change.
Speaking after the protest, Dr. Laura Kehoe, an environmental scientist who was active in the Climate Camp as a member of Slí Eile (Another Way), emphasised that industrial farming is “the main cause of the catastrophe at Lough Neagh” and a significant contributor to climate and biodiversity crises across Ireland. She criticised corporations for prioritising profits over the environment, calling for urgent action to address the damage caused by large-scale industrial agriculture.
Finding solutions: A just transformation
Climate Camp Ireland 2024 highlighted the growing awareness that economic policies based on endless growth are unsustainable and harmful to the environment. There is an ever-prevalent feeling that resistance to industrial-scale pollution is vital, with more communities across Ireland standing up for the well-being of land, air and water.
As part of this resistance there is a need to give attention to coming up with alternative approaches and finding pathways to solutions. DiEM25’s proposal detailed in our Ecological Vision includes the following ideas integrated into a ‘Blueprint for Europe’s Just Transition’:
- Switching from GDP to Genuine Progress Indicators: Instead of measuring economic success by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), this proposal suggests using a more holistic system that takes into account environmental and social well-being.
- Introducing an Environmental Abuse Directive: This would create legal consequences for those who contribute to environmental damage, holding polluters personally and financially accountable.
- Recognising Climate Change as Criminal Damage: This proposal calls for making ecocide (the destruction of ecosystems) a crime, emphasising the need for stronger legal protections for the environment.
A growing movement
Climate Camp Ireland 2024 reflected a growing movement of people determined to protect the environment and resist harmful industries. Whether fighting toxic mining, fracked gas imports, or industrial agriculture, these activists are united in their belief that another way is possible – a way that prioritises the health of the planet and the well-being of communities over profit.
As the environmental crisis deepens, the message from the camp is clear: economic policies that harm the environment are the problem, not the solution. The resistance is growing, and so too is the search for solutions that promote sustainability, justice, and a livable future for all.
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