Farmers protest at climate change bill

Farmers protest at climate change bill

9 February 2022

LOCAL farmers and politicians took part in a protest at Stormont last week against proposed climate change laws.

Northern Ireland is currently the only part of the UK and Ireland that does not have its own climate change legislation with two separate bills currently proceeding through legislative stages in the Assembly – one tabled by Environment Minister Edwin Poots and the other a private members’ bill from the Green Party’s Clare Bailey.

South Down Assembly election candidates Jill Macauley (UUP) and Harold McKee (TUV) took part in the protest and were joined by Rowallane councillor Robert Burgess who is a key member of the Ulster Farmers’ Union. Strangford DUP MLA Harry Harvey is also opposed to the Green Party’s  climate change bill.

Mrs Macauley said the proposals within the agriculture minister’s bill should not have the same devastating consequences as those in Ms Bailey’s, arguing that the latter will put farm families’ livelihoods and the entire farming industry in Northern Ireland in jeopardy. 

“Sadly we saw our MLAs from Sinn Fein, Alliance and the SDLP vote through an amendment for a 100% net-zero target, which I’m disappointed with to say the least.” she continued.

“As South Down relies heavily on its agri/food industry and the subsidiary businesses from that, I find it appalling that local Sinn Fein and SDLP MLAs and the DUP’s Jim Wells all supported these unachievable targets, potentially decimating our local farms and agricultural businesses that support our industry.”

Mrs Macauley said farmers wanted to play their part in tackling the climate change issue and are clearly the solution, rather than the problem.

Mr McKee congratulated the Ulster Farmers’ Union for organising last week’s protest and the many farmers who attended the event.

He said the farming community has met with all political parties and most MLAs to raise the concerns of the industry should any of these climate change bills reach beyond 82% net zero emissions by 2050.

“The dangers of introducing amendments that would undermine the expert advice given by the UK Climate Change Committee, government agricultural researchers and technology professionals within the agri-industry were reiterated at last week’s protest,” continued Mr McKee.

“The introduction of 100% zero emissions by 2045, would see the loss of 14,500 Less Favoured Area farms and 4,500 lowland farms, 1.2 million beef cattle, 1.7 million sheep and 270,000 dairy cattle, 113,000  job losses and the rewetting of 150,000 hectares of peat land etc.”

Mr McKee said he was “deeply disappointed” with the outcome of Ms Bailey’s amendment to the 82% zero emissions by 2050, proposing a 100% zero emissions by 2050 which was carried. 

Mr Harvey said he was “extremely disappointed” that 50 MLAs supported a move by Sinn Fein and the Green Party to a net zero by 2045 target into the climate change legislation.

“I am fully supportive of ambitious targets to tackle the growing problem of climate change, but not unrealistic ones,” he continued. “The decision to back net zero by 2045 flies in the face of all the expert advice received by MLAs on this issue and is not even supported by the UK Climate Change Committee.

“The target of 82% carbon reduction by 2050, originally within Minister Poots’ bill, was supported by the science and, most importantly, by the agriculture sector who will be pivotal to the future success of any legislation to tackle climate change.”