Cross-party Climate Change Bill introduced at Assembly

Earlier today Clare Bailey MLA introduced the cross-party Climate Change Bill to the Assembly.

The Bill drafted by Climate Coalition NI proposes to :

• Set a Net Zero target of 2045
• Establish a Climate Office
• Create the role of an independent Climate Commissioner

The Bill starts off in a very positive position having the support of a number of parties in the chamber. The co-sponsors of the Bill are

John Blair (Alliance Party)

Clare Bailey (Green Party)

Trevor Lunn (Independent)

Claire Sugden (Independent)

Gerry Carroll (People Before Profit)

Philip McGuigan (Sinn Féin)

Mark H. Durkan (SDLP)

John Stewart (Ulster Unionist Party)

It comes as measures to address the nature and climate emergency are being introduced apace elsewhere, most notably in the US where President Joe Biden has said that he will adopt a much more progressive approach than his predecessor.

Polling here has shown that the vast majority of the public want to see a Climate Change Act and a target of Net Zero by 2045 at the latest.

The Bill is undoubtedly one of the most significant pieces of legislation ever introduced at the Assembly.

The first debate on the Bill (Second Stage)  is expected to be in April.

Daithi McKay

Daithí McKay is a former MLA that introduced the Assembly’s first carrier bag levy legislation. He was the Chairperson of the Climate Coalition and was involved in both the legislative work and the grassroots campaign to secure the Climate Change Act 2022. Based west of the Bann he is also a member of the Strabane Greenways group.

Twitter : @daithimckay