AQW 21005/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 25/06/2021
Answered On Date: 14/07/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what consideration his Department has given to the promotion of the Green Growth Foundation Programme through other public bodies.

Answer:

My Department in leading on the development of the Executives Green Growth Strategy has established a number of working groups to support and promote this important area of work. These include a Strategic Oversight Group which comprises senior Department representatives from a range of NI Executive Departments which supports the Green Growth Inter-Ministerial Group which I chair. Consideration is currently been given to the establishment of a number of sectoral working groups, in addition to the established Green Growth Forum, which it is envisaged would comprise representatives from a range of other public bodies. Those working groups and the Forum should provide a mechanism to promote Green Growth Foundation Programmes with other public bodies as they are developed.

As way of example ‘Forests of our Future’, which I launched in March 2020, as the first Green Growth Foundation Programme is supported by the Afforestation Forum which I established. That Forum includes representatives from Councils and other public bodies to help support the delivery of the programme.