AQO 827/16-21

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 24/11/2016
Answered On Date: 12/12/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, given that the Assembly passed a motion on 30 November 2015 calling on the Minister of the Environment to work with his Executive colleagues to introduce a Climate Bill for Northern Ireland that included legally binding, long-term and interim targets on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, to outline how she is progressing this Bill.

Answer:

Legislation to address climate change is already in place in the form of the UK wide Climate Change Act. The Act establishes a long term target of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, against a 1990 baseline.

Interim targets are in effect set by five year carbon budgets, which are legislated in advance by statutory instrument, laid in Westminster, as a requirement of the Act. The current carbon budget for the whole of the UK targets a 34% reduction in GHG emissions by 2020. I wrote recently to the Secretary of State supporting new legislation at Westminster for a UK carbon budget of a 57% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The latest greenhouse gas inventory published in June 2016, shows a reduction of 17·4% from 1990 levels, whilst the most recent projections indicate that we are on target to achieve a 34.1% reduction by 2025.

The need to take action on climate change and its importance to the Executive is demonstrated through measures included in the draft delivery plan for indicator 29 of the draft Programme for Government. An annual progress report is submitted by the Cross Departmental Working Group on Climate Change to the Executive summarising progress made towards the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in NI.

I am satisfied that progress has been made in reducing GHG emissions in Northern Ireland. I am content with the plans currently in place, or being developed that will reduce our emissions further. In these circumstances I currently see no need to introduce a Northern Ireland Climate Change Bill.