AQW 23059/17-22
Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim
Tabled Date: 23/09/2021
Answered On Date: 05/10/2021
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail the preparatory work his Department is conducting ahead of the introduction of climate change legislation.
Answer:
The main focus of my Department at this stage is on ensuring that effective evidence-based climate change legislation completes its passage in the Assembly in this mandate. As you will be aware there are currently two draft Climate Change Bills passing through the Assembly – my Executive Climate Change Bill and the Private Members Climate Change Bill which you have co-sponsored. The full preparations for delivering on the requirements of climate change legislation in Northern Ireland cannot be finalised until there is certainty around what the requirements will be and we do not have that at this stage. However, my Department is taking forward a number of work-streams which will help to reduce emissions, promote a green economy and improve our ability to adapt to climate change. If and when the Climate Change (No.2) Bill passes through the Assembly and becomes law, it will, at that stage, be for each department to identify the actions that need to be taken to reduce emissions within their areas of responsibility in line with the requirements of the legislation. Each department will have to determine how much of this can be done through planned activities, as well as identify and develop further actions and policies that may be necessary. The identification and implementation of actions and polices to reduce emissions will be an ongoing process throughout the lifetime of the legislation. My Department, as part of existing legislative commitments for Northern Ireland under the UK Climate Change Act 2008, currently co-ordinates the Northern Ireland input to the Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) and in turn, co-ordinates the development of the Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive in response to the risks identified. Adapting to the impact of climate change is an important element in our overall efforts to tackle climate change. Ahead of COP26, my Department is also leading on the development of a number of important areas of policy including an Northern Ireland Peatlands Strategy, a Northern Ireland Environment Strategy and ongoing programmes such as ‘Forests for Our Future’, which I launched in March 2020. Also, in June last year, I announced ambitious plans for my Department to lead, on behalf of the Executive, on the development of a Green Growth Strategy for Northern Ireland. The Strategy and associated Climate Action Plan will be our route map to accelerating action to deliver on reducing emissions, creating green jobs and tackling climate and environmental challenges. The Strategy will look out to 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement, and provide a pathway for delivery of sector-specific greenhouse gas emission targets. The Climate Action Plan will focus on the shorter term actions we must take across all sectors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Northern Ireland. My intention is that the draft Green Growth Strategy will be published for consultation in advance of COP26 in November 2021 and be finalised by the end of March 2022. The Green Growth Strategy and Climate Action Plan will provide a strong foundation to drive forward action.
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