There is a “degree of absurdity” in the consideration of two separate climate change bills at Stormont MLAs have heard.
Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots and Green Party MLA Clare Bailey have both proposed bills which are being progressed in the final weeks of the Assembly term before the institutions are dissolved for fresh elections.
Northern Ireland is currently the only part of the UK which does not have its own climate legislation, however UK-wide targets do apply to the region.
Mr Poots’ bill, backed by the agrifood industry, proposed an aim to be 82% carbon neutral by 2050, but has been criticised by environmentalists as not going far enough.
Ms Bailey’s bill goes further, proposing a 2045 target for reaching net-zero carbon emissions.
On Tuesday, MLAs started debating some 80 amendments which have been proposed to Mr Poots’ bill in discussions which appeared likely to required another day to consider.
UUP MLA Steve Aiken said his party has been encouraging those behind both bills to come closer together.
“To many people outside, there is a degree of absurdity that the Northern Ireland Assembly is indeed debating two climate change bills when in fact what we should be doing is debating one climate emergency bill because that is the situation we’re in,” he said.
However he said they will back Mr Poots’ proposed target to be 82% carbon neutral by 2050 after “listening to the farming community”, describing it as “realistic”.
Alliance MLA John Blair said his party will back amendments for a target of net-zero by 2050.
Sinn Fein and the SDLP are also expected to back amendments for tougher targets in Mr Poots’ bill.
Earlier the first proposed amendment to Mr Poots’ bill was unable to be tabled because the MLA proposing it was not in the chamber.
The first amendment by Ms Bailey aimed to create a tougher deadline for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, from a target of 82% by 2050 to 82% by 2045.
She was not in the chamber to move the amendment when it was called on Tuesday.
Principal Deputy Speaker Christopher Stalford then called on Mr Poots to move amendment four.
Mr Poots described his Bill as “the right Bill for this House”, adding that it will “ensure that we can tackle the important issues around climate on the one hand, and ensure on the other hand that we can deal with all of the issues that involve our economy, our agrifood sector”.
Mr Stalford later clarified to MLAs that, as Ms Bailey was not in her seat and as no other MLAs volunteered to move amendment one, it could not be moved.
Interrupting Mr Poot’s speech, he told MLAs: “I think it’s important, given the sheer scale of what we’re about to go through, that we get this procedurally correct.
“I have been advised by the clerk that, although Ms Bailey wasn’t in her place to move amendment one, any member would have had the right so to do, so I am making the House aware of that before the minister proceeds on this.”
He asked whether any member was willing to move amendment one but there was no response.
By this time Ms Bailey had arrived in the chamber and moved amendment two.
She also apologised to the House for not being in her seat to move amendment one.
“I am very sorry that business has moved much quicker today than was scheduled so I can only apologise and thank you for allowing me to speak,” she told MLAs.
Earlier, farmers and environmentalists staged separate rallies at Stormont.
At the first event, farmers walked up the hill to Parliament Buildings, where they cheered an address by Ulster Farmers’ Union president Victor Chestnutt as he warned MLAs: “Don’t mess with our future.”
Mr Poots joined the crowd along with DUP colleagues, TUV leader Jim Allister and some members of the UUP.
“We want legislation that will support us, not eliminate us.
“There are few out there who are more vulnerable to extreme weather than we are,” Mr Chestnutt told the crowd.
“Farmers are part of the climate change solution but a net-zero greenhouse gas emission target for Northern Ireland will take us completely out of the equation.
“We’re pleading today with our MLAs to vote for the Executive target of 82% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
“Anything more than this is a vote to put us off the land, the land that past generations farmed and the land that we hope future generations can farm in a sustainable way.”
Later, environmentalists staged a demonstration as part of the Climate Coalition.
They were joined by representatives from Sinn Fein, the SDLP, Alliance Party, Green Party and People Before Profit as well as DUP veteran Jim Wells.
Academic John Barry said it is “regrettable and unnecessary” in terms of how the debate has played out that farmers and agriculture have been “put against” strong climate legislation.
“Farmers are stewards of the land, farmers know how to work the land and, unlike the weak climate change Bill that is calling for 82% reduction by 2050, I think our farmers are innovative and robust and resilient enough to meet much more stringent targets,” he said.
“What we are facing is an existential crisis.
“Last August, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change declared it a code red for humanity.
“How is having weak climate change legislation, that is several years short and several billion pounds of carbon short, sufficient to the challenge?”
