Debate contribution: The draft Climate Change (Carbon Budgets 2023-2037) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
Debate contribution by Mr John Blair on .
- MLA
- Mr John Blair
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 10 December 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- The draft Climate Change (Carbon Budgets 2023-2037) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4715603
Read the official Assembly record
Text
At the outset, I want to be clear on behalf of Alliance that I support the two crucial sets of regulations. The first set of regulations will establish the initial three carbon budgets for Northern Ireland, guiding our carbon emissions strategy through to 2037. The second set of regulations will set a definitive emissions target of 77% by 2040, as laid out in the Climate Change Act 2022. Both sets of regulations provide us with essential frameworks for setting the groundwork for our long-term climate initiatives and ensuring that we meet our environmental obligations in a structured and measurable way. It should be pointed out — the Minister and other contributors have referred to it — that all work thus far has been done in cooperation with the UK Climate Change Committee. The passing of the two sets of regulations will represent a critical advancement in our overall climate strategy and will serve as a testament to our commitment to confronting the pressing challenges that climate change brings for us all.
It is important to recognise that today marks the final sitting of the Assembly until 2025. By then, it will be three years since the Assembly unanimously passed the Climate Change Act, which the previous DUP Minister introduced. Were it not for that party's subsequent boycott of the Assembly, we would have made significant strides in implementing these vital regulations. I am thankful, however, that we now have in place a Minister who is thoroughly dedicated to promoting our environmental agenda. That is important because we simply cannot afford to continue to fall further behind. I must voice my disappointment that certain members of the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, of which I am a member, seem to have expressed their intention not to support these regulations. It is utterly baffling. The measures before us are a direct consequence of the Act brought by their Minister just three years ago and passed unanimously by the House, including the Members who now seem to be distancing themselves from it. This is like living in a parallel universe, not just in perception but in reality. It is most disheartening to witness the lack of backing for initiatives that are fundamentally important to achieving our climate objectives and safeguarding the future of our communities and international communities. While the regulations may well be ambitious in scope and their implementation may incur cost, we must also recognise that we are lagging seriously behind numerous other countries and regions that are taking decisive action to combat climate change. Moreover, in the long run, the financial implications of not implementing the regulations would be substantially more burdensome for all the people whom we represent. Meeting the goals established by the Climate Change Act is not just an aspiration, it is a necessary commitment that we made in the Chamber. Today, we are presented with an opportunity to fulfil some of the promises that we made. We have a moral obligation to do so. We also have a legal obligation to do so, as the Minister made clear earlier. I reiterate what I conveyed in the Assembly just last week. We need actions, not words. I urge all Members to take a moment to reflect on their position, as our shared responsibility, locally and globally, to address the catastrophic impacts of climate change is becoming more urgent by the day. It is simply insufficient to continue postponing these critical issues for future consideration. We must join forces and work collaboratively to reach these ambitious targets and ensure that Northern Ireland actively contributes to the global fight against climate change. The time for small actions has passed. We need to take significant steps towards a sustainable future.
621 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.08 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.81).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.98).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.04 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.04 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.08 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.08 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.81 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.08 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.98 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.02 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.91 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.04 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.03 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.02 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:45 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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