FEATURE
Acting Up for Change COP26 has called time on procrastinating on climate change. Emma Deighan looks at where Northern Ireland sits in the drive to net zero: from Stormont to the factory floor.
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he world’s leaders and ministers gathered in Glasgow to discuss mobilising funding for rapid, large-scale climate action at COP26. Pledges and projected funding figures were issued at what was the most pressing commitment to tackling rising temperatures, green innovation, landmark deforestation and more. In theory, the promises were positive, but a tangible effort through action must be made to realise the goals laid out at the historic summit. First Minister Paul Givan said: “The scale of the challenge is such that everyone across society has their part to play. Governments, businesses and individuals must all shoulder their responsibilities to create a cleaner environment…” He said the Executive’s Green Growth Strategy for NI, which sets out the long-term vision for tackling the climate crisis, will be key in Northern Ireland playing its part. It has been developed by all Ministers and government departments and in collaboration with external stakeholders – from local government, the private sector, voluntary and community sectors and others. In the strategy, 10 ‘Green Growth Promises’ are laid out. This includes laws for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the development of a climate action plan, the creation of green jobs, the reduction of emissions in Government buildings and vehicles and an all-Ireland approach to emission reduction, as well as a solid system for tracking of the latter promises.
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Meanwhile two competing climate change bills are being considered at Stormont – one aims for net zero carbon emissions by 2045 and completed the first stage in the Assembly in March. The second bill completed its first stage in July, and calls for an 82% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The stalling of passing one specific bill makes NI the only region in the UK without a clear-cut climate change plan. In spite of that, many businesses here have already taken the lead in setting their own targets. Translink is one of those firms having recently pledged £30m in Foyle Metro in Derry. The cash injection will see the city’s entire urban fleet replaced with electric buses making it one of the first cities in the UK and Ireland to have a fully zero-emission bus fleet when all the vehicles go into passenger service in 2023. Chief Financial Officer at Translink, Patrick Anderson, told Ambition the transport organisation plans to be fully carbon neutral by 2040 in Belfast and 2030 in Derry. “We know people want that from a transport provider,” he said. Hydrogen buses, which are the work of Ballymena-based
