AQO 897/22-27
Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley
Tabled Date: 19/09/2024
Answered On Date: 03/10/2024
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for an update on the development of a new green growth strategy.
Answer:
My Department has been leading the development of the Green Growth Strategy, on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive, collaborating with other departments, local government and key stakeholders from across the business, voluntary and community sectors. The draft Green Growth Strategy is the Executive’s multi-decade strategy for climate, the environment & the economy. Its aim is to ensure future government policy making here has climate and environmental action at its core. The draft strategy sets out a long-term vision for tackling the climate and environment challenge in a way that benefits all our people and with an emphasis on just and fair economic growth. It proposes a range of principles and 10 commitments which will help balance climate action, clean environment and green jobs. In October 2021, the then Executive agreed the text of a draft Green Growth Strategy. The strategy was issued for an eight-week public consultation, revised and updated to incorporate feedback from the consultation exercise and the impact of the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) which received Royal Assent on 6 June 2022. While the updated strategy was agreed by the former DAERA Minister, it was not possible to secure approval in the absence of an Executive. In the interim, the draft Strategy has been further updated to ensure its accuracy and relevance. The strategy was issued to all Departments for review in July 2024, has been updated to reflect feedback and is being finalised prior to consideration by the Executive. I hope to take the Strategy to the Executive this autumn for approval to publish.
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