A draft environmental strategy for Northern Ireland lacks ambition and needs to set specific targets, according to MLAs.
A range of Department for Agriculture, Environmental and Rural Affairs (DAERA) leaders were quizzed on the long-awaited plan by a Stormont sub committee on Thursday, January 13.
Issues raised by committee members included oversight, afforestation targets, whether the plan meets legal requirements and the lack of specific targets to improve air and water quality.
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South Antrim Alliance MLA John Blair hit out at the scant detail on agriculture - NI’s biggest emitting sector - given its “close relationship with the environment” and also biodiversity protection.
DAERA’s director of regulatory and natural resources policy, Dave Foster, told him: “You are right to point out that the detail is limited at this stage - but we are developing a number of important strategies in parallel.”
Sinn Fein’s North Antrim MLA, Philip McGuigan, also criticised the strategy's lack of ambition.
He said: “The consensus among ourselves on the committee, the media and the environmental sector and NGOs - maybe even civic society - is that the strategy isn’t as ambitious as we would like it to be or think it should be.
“It is certainly unambitious when you compare it to other jurisdictions on these islands and what they are attempting to do.”
Mr Foster again responded and defended the plan, saying: “There’s a balance with these things around being ambitious and being realistic. We are being as ambitious as we can be.”
He did concede, however, that there should be a clear line of sight between this strategy and others focusing on issues that have been brushed over.
Fermanagh and Co Tyrone UUP MLA Rosemary Barton questioned whether the 12% tree cover planned for NI by 2050 in the forestry strategy would include only native plants.
Forestry head Richard Schaible said it will include “all types of forestry”.
“We are guided by the principle of planting the right tree in the right place for the right reasons and with biodiversity as a primary objective if native species are appropriate,” he added.
“We have other primary objectives including the timber industry.”
The DUP’s William Irwin described tree cover targets as a “really big challenge” while the SDLP’s Patsy McGlone asked what the strategy meant for NI’s peatlands, as many rural families rely on turf for heat.
The Mid Ulster MLA was told overall environmental targets will see us move away from bog cutting.
Green Party leader and South Belfast MLA Clare Bailey blasted the lack of “target setting” in the document asking if it was “deliberate to maybe even obfuscate outcomes”.
“We’re not even set basic measurable targets within the overarching environment strategy which we are hearing is Northern Ireland’s very own EIP,” she added.
“How does this strategy even meet the basic legal obligations in the UK environment strategy that significantly improves the environment.
“The targets on air pollution are so vague that I genuinely believe you could meet them all and still not see any actual improvement in air quality.
“There’s no actual numbers to measure improvement.”
She also said the part on water quality doesn’t “even match existing standards” and asked who would measure NI’s progress on the overall strategy and what sanctions we would face if Water Framework Directive targets are not met.
DAERA’s Mr Foster said: “Ultimately it will be down to the OEP (UK Office for Environmental Potection) to determine whether we’ve met the legal requirement in the Environment Bill for significant improvement of the environment... and if we haven’t, what sanctions need to be taken.”
He also said the views of the committee, stakeholders and the public would be taken into consideration before the draft plan is finalised.
A public consultation on the strategy closes on January 18.
You can respond to the consultation online.
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