We want MLAs to ACT IMMEDIATELY and say NO to onshore fossil fuel exploration and extraction in Northern Ireland.

A new oil and gas extraction industry will soon be unstoppable in NI. If the Department of Economy get their petroleum policy options through the Executive and Ministers do not ban petroleum licensing, it will be very difficult to stop this.  Licences already validated will be granted.

The petroleum licensing policy options which the Department of Economy plan to bring into the Executive SOON may allow the Petroleum Licence applications for oil and gas PLA1/ 16 and PLA2 / 16 (already validated during Stormont suspension) to become granted oil and gas onshore exploration and extraction licences.

With policy, licences, and exploration approved, exploration will be unstoppable. A fracking ban may not stop any of this, because the industry will go to court and the courts will refer to Government Policy. This move to policy happen any day now.

Extraction rights come at the expense of our health and human rights. Oil and gas extraction has a harmful impact on our environment, agriculture, and long-term economy. The failure to act now on petroleum licensing policy options will be extremely damaging, expensive, permanent, and irreversible.

ACT NOW by signing and sharing this petition to protect damage and exploitation by those seeking personal financial profits at the expense of pollution costs for the community and future generations. Moving to renewable energy is both possible and essential now. This is what we need MLAs to do; 

1. Deputy First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, must write immediately to the Minister for the Economy, Gordon Lyons, and demand to know if a ban on Petroleum Licensing will be an option brought by Department for the Economy (DfE) into the Executive. If a ban on petroleum licensing is not one of the options, then we need this to be stopped and blocked by Michelle O'Neill. She must not agree to allow it onto the Executive agenda. She must not allow it into the Executive, unless Sinn Fein MLAs (together with UUP and Alliance Ministers) have the power in the Executive to ban petroleum licensing. If MLAs do not block or ban it now, a new oil and gas extraction industry will become unstoppable.

2. MLAs must bring forward amendments to both climate bills to ban petroleum licensing as per the Assembly motion they supported. IPCC evidence and UN demands emphasise the importance of: 'No new fossil fuel exploration’. 

3. Respect our human right for information regarding health and environmental matters, crucial to the protection of other rights (e.g. clean air and water, health, food as well as a clean, healthy environment)

4. Demand the release of the Hatch report, which is being used by the Department of Economy to form policy options. The Department of Economy refuse to release it until they get their plan through the Executive. They will only put ONE policy option out to public consultation. Releasing the report then will be too late. We need the community to feedback on Hatch report with evidence on omissions or anything misleading before any preferred policy option is brought to the Executive. Suppression of information by civil service departments only fosters distrust of government, and without transparency, MLAs and the Department are gambling our rights to a clean and green environment behind closed doors.