The Earth's Corr: Carrot and stick both AWOL as Executive finally agrees carbon budgets

The climate crisis is already hurting people right across Northern Ireland through devastating floods; changing weather that’s impacting farmers; what seems like a never ending stream of food price hikes and the decline of nature all around us.

While Stormont has finally agreed to NI’s carbon budgets so we can play our part in the global fight to save the Earth and ourselves from the greenhouse gases we emit when we burn fossil fuels, I have really serious concerns about the ability of our devolved government to deliver what’s needed.

Throughout my years reporting on everything from breaking news to health issues, crime, education and now the environment - there has been one constant theme - and that’s the fact you could almost place a winning bet that our government departments won’t meet the targets they set for themselves.

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We’ve seen it through years of failing to improve water quality and reduce pollution; opening a children’s hospital in time or even tackling hospital waiting lists, rising obesity and diabetes and what’s worse is, I think they know it’s true themselves- which in my view is why the latest Programme for Government lacked anything tangible you could actually measure their progress against.

So you’ll understand why alarm bells are ringing in my ears at the fact there will be no repercussions of any kind if we don’t meet the carbon budgets we have to hit if we are in with any chance of becoming a net-zero country by 2050 even if that goal is now enshrined in law.

I had a lot of questions for DAERA following news the NI Assembly passed two bits of legislation that included Northern Ireland’s carbon budgets for 2023-2027, 2028-2032 and 2033-2037 and a new emissions reduction target for 2040.

We should be delighted Minister Andrew Muir finally got them over the line two years after the Climate Act passed - and while I am over the moon he cares enough to keep pushing for the climate action we need - I don’t have any faith in Stormont as a whole to back him and get it done even if it is written in law.

We’ve already seen it in the largely watered down environmental plan for Northern Ireland, which I hear was held back massively by some around the Executive table. But the way I see it, is there is no real incentive to get them working together on this major issue nor any real consequences for those holding climate action, which could massively improve our lives, back.

Stormont won’t lose any of its budget to carbon credits or fines if they fail to deliver like in the Republic of Ireland, which is being heavily scrutinised by the EU - and maybe this was another reason why some politicians pushed so hard for Brexit.

DAERA tell me NI’s progress on the Climate Act will be monitored by the “UK Climate Change Committee who have statutory duties around reporting on the progress being made against the targets and carbon budgets” but they also admit “Under the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, if carbon budgets are not achieved, no fines are levied”.

While it was very positive news that the Executive has agreed to Conor Murphy’s Bill to ban all fracking, oil and gas prospecting in Northern Ireland into the future - we are still burning huge amounts of fossil fuels in our homes, vehicles, in industry and agriculture and unless we get to grips with that we won’t stay within our carbon budget.

If we really want a prosperous future for our children and grandchildren, a serious amount of self reflection is needed on our politicians’ parts.

We have major problems - the first of which is our electricity grid - it needs major updates if we are to continue to attract businesses to Northern Ireland and deliver the electrification of society needed to slash our emissions.

Cue the broken record I’ve playing for around years in this column - where are the government funded schemes to put solar panels on our schools and hospitals? Why don’t we have any offshore wind yet? Where are the grants to retrofit the hundreds of thousands of homes still relying on oil and coal for heat? Why haven’t the building regulations been updated to ensure all new builds include solar panels and heat pumps, the best insulation available and more than double glazed?

And, again, why is public transport still so expensive when we can now add the growing anger over congestion to the long list of reasons to encourage people out of their cars and take up walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport to get around?

People say the public has lost interest in the climate crisis - but I don’t think that’s true. I think the many who really care have become so disillusioned with the dearth of anything tangible from our leaders to make any real impact on the issue.

It’s almost as if everyone has given up hope on having a government that will deliver for its people - and that is not a good place to be for any of us. Meanwhile, the extreme weather will keep coming along with its impacts on our everyday lives.

While these aren’t things folks will be discussing over the festivities, it’s time for contemplation and a plan to get the parties working for us again because we can’t give up no matter how difficult the changes we all need to make.

Hooray for EA bid to reduce energy use

While they don’t appear to be getting funding for solar panels to drive down their electric costs or emissions any time soon, it’s commendable that the Education Authority is taking some action to help schools reduce their energy use.

A pilot project involving 12 schools in Belfast and Derry & Strabane council areas is being rolled out in conjunction with tech firm, SustainIQ, to probe how they can cut costs through simple changes like installing heat censors to control temperatures and lights.

Knockavoe School, Strabane principal, Sharon Cassidy, said: “The SBRI Carbon Capital project has been a recipe for success - to get into the schools, to capture data and use it to bring positive benefits to the children, to the environment and to the community.”

The pilot, which will also allow the EA to monitor and report on its carbon emissions, ends in March. One of its key objectives is to develop a platform to inform future investment in school decarbonisation. I wish them all the best and hope it goes well!

Reallocating road space key to a better Belfast

The Transport Minister that drove the All-Island Rail Review; grew Ireland’s public transport journeys to over a million a day and secured a massive funding boost that delivered more rural buses and taxi share schemes and massively improved cycle infrastructure says the biggest thing we can do to tackle congestion is “reallocating road space”.

Belfast still has just two miles of cycle lanes, while recent congestion issues saw buses trapped behind lines of cars trying to get through the city centre. I asked Minister Ryan what change made the impact on reducing Dublin congestion after taking the train down to meet him this week.

He said: “Reallocating road space is they key.... to make it safe. That’s system change that is not punitive and it’s socially progressive. The buses and cycling improve.

“All the evidence is saying cities or towns that are doing that, are the ones that thrive. Clonakilty is booming... they did a small diversion of road traffic out of the centre and the main street is a more pedestrian friendly place.

“Every town in the country should be doing that.”

The former Green Party leader also hailed innovations like bus gates which exclusively restrict road use to buses, taxis and cyclists during their hours of operation.

Minister Ryan believes the transformations delivered in Paris and Brussels are the “way to go”.

“The air quality is improving, it’s quieter, it’s more effective transport-wise.”

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