AQW 9378/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 21/03/2024
Answered On Date: 10/04/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities what actions are being taken to assist historic monuments in meeting climate change targets.

Answer:

My Department’s Historic Environment Division (HED) is the policy lead with regard to historic monuments in NI.

There are 3 principal strands that guide HED’s approach to climate change: mitigation (achieving net zero); managing risks (understanding threats) and adaptation (preparing for climate change).

HED collaborates with a number of partners regarding the impact of climate change on historic monuments and the Department is a member of the UK Heritage Adaptation Partnership (UKHAP).

My Department has part funded research projects working in partnership with the National Trust around evidence-based decision making, adaptation and an ongoing project identifying risks to monuments along our coastline.

HED recently completed a carbon audit on its State Care Monuments and is taking forward recommendations to better understand its carbon footprint and help to establish annual carbon reduction targets.

HED also utilises the evidence-based assessment of hazards commissioned by the National Trust to help provide a strategic picture of potential climate-related risks to State Care Monuments and embed climate change considerations in State Care Monument condition surveys.

My Department is committed to adapting and mitigating the impacts of climate change on Historic Monuments. We will continue to consider how we best conserve our monuments for future generations.