Offaly councillor says climate action has to be about social progress Reporter: '); Cllr Clare Claffey, Social Democrats Councillor for the Birr Area of Offaly County Council has reiterated her party's support for a Just Transition and a response to climate change that takes communities into account. Speaking after the Social Democrats’ online National Conference on Saturday, Claffey said: “Climate change is the biggest societal challenge we face. It will impact on every aspect of our lives - in fact, it already has. "To date, we’ve seen climate change primarily as an environmental issue and our responses to it have often been compartmentalised and ultimately unsuccessful. But climate change is not just about the environment, it is about how our economy is structured, about workers’ rights, housing, poverty, and ultimately, human rights.