AQO 3120/22-27


Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford


Tabled Date: 05/02/2026
Answered On Date: 23/03/2026
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for an update on the Third Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme.


Answer:
It is vital that we work collaboratively in the face of the impacts of climate change and the challenges we face such as more frequent and severe storms leading to increased risk of flooding, loss of energy supply and coastal erosion along with other risks such as longer lasting wildfires which are all impacting upon our communities, businesses and natural environment.
My Department has been leading on the development of the Third Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme, or NICCAP3 for short, on behalf of all departments to ensure that we collectively meet our legal responsibility under the Climate Change Act 2008.
The NICCAP3 sets out details of policies and proposals in response to the latest UK Climate Change Risk Assessment with the ultimate aim of improving our resilience to the impacts of climate change that impacts all of us here in Northern Ireland. In developing the draft Programme my Department, as well as working with all other departments, has also undertaken a co-design approach with a range of key stakeholders.
The public consultation my Department undertook last year showed overwhelming support for the draft Adaptation Programme, and my Department published the summary analysis of responses last October. The constructive feedback received through that consultation has been used to make refinements to the draft NICCAP3 including incorporating additional actions that were proposed by a range of stakeholders.
Unlike other regions of the UK the draft NICCAP3, in addition to the 150+ actions from departments, also contains over 120 actions from a range of key stakeholders including Local Government, environmental Non-Government Organisations, our universities, Agencies and front-line delivery organisations in recognition of the important role they play in adapting to and creating resilience to the impacts of climate change. This ‘whole society approach’ my department has taken has been welcomed by the UK Climate Change Committee.
I am currently engaging with my Executive colleagues to seek their agreement to the NICCAP3 being finalised and laid in this Assembly. It is imperative that Northern Ireland has an adaptation programme in place.