Debate contribution: Climate Change (Just Transition Commission) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
Debate contribution by Mr John Blair on .
- MLA
- Mr John Blair
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 27 April 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Climate Change (Just Transition Commission) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5508638
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I am pleased to support the Climate Change (Just Transition Commission) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026. They are an important and necessary step in delivering on the commitments set out in the Climate Change Act. It has just been made clear that some of us will see those in different terms, but I will come to that before I close. In brief, the establishment of the just transition commission for Northern Ireland will play an important advisory role in overseeing and informing how we implement the just transition provisions for the climate legislation that was agreed unanimously in the House. In other words, it is about helping to ensure that, as we move towards decarbonisation and net zero, we do so in a way that is fair, balanced and inclusive and that protects the most vulnerable from change by creating new opportunities, particularly when it comes to building a greener, more sustainable economy. Before I go further, I place on record my thanks to the Minister and his officials for all the hard work that they have put into developing the regulations and for all the queries that they answered, whether to Members individually, to Committees or to other structures along the way as this progressed. Establishing a body of this nature requires significant preparation, consultation and engagement, and it is clear that a considerable effort has been made to get us to this point. I want also to acknowledge the engagement that took place during the consultation process, some of it hosted by external organisations. It is welcome that there is strong support for the commission's establishment and for its role as an advisory body, bringing together voices from a wide range of sectors. That matters because, if a just transition is to mean anything in practice, it must be shaped by those who will be most affected by it. I cannot speak to the regulations today without expressing my disappointment at the delay in getting them, and many other matters linked to the environment, through the Northern Ireland Executive. The commission is not an optional extra; it is a key commitment that flows directly from climate legislation passed in the Chamber. Progress on its establishment should never have been held up. My frustration is only deepened by the fact that the delay comes on top of the delay already caused by the stop-start nature of government in this place. Climate change and its effects do not pause when our institutions pause. At its heart, a just transition is about making sure that the path to net zero is one that carries public confidence and support. That is essential if we are to achieve the scale of change required in the years ahead and to meet our climate targets. In that regard, I refer to some of the comments made just a moment ago by the DUP spokesperson. We hear all this Trumpian denial on a weekly basis. It is not something that is widely recognised, endorsed or embraced by the developed and developing economies that are trying to seize the opportunities presented by greener environmental outcomes and better economic outcomes closely related to them. There was almost a suggestion from the person who spoke for the DUP that there should not be sectoral involvement in these conversations. That is absolutely staggering. It is to some of us unthinkable that the sectors so heavily dependent on movement on climate and economic opportunities should not be at the table shaping and participating in the conversations around how we move forward. An example of that is the Ulster Farmers' Union, which is supportive of the establishment of the commission, and many other sectoral representative bodies are also supportive of it. The Alliance Party welcomes the regulations, and I am hopeful that we will finally start to see the urgency, cooperation and political will that the issue demands.
645 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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