Nigel Topping, new chair of the Climate Change Committee, says Northern Ireland must show 'courage and leadership' to catch up on climate action, warning of missed innovation and higher costs if it fails to act.
01Summary
- 01Topping is spending two days in Northern Ireland on a fact-finding mission meeting farmers, businesses and politicians.
- 02He said Northern Ireland was the last part of these islands to adopt climate change legislation with legally-binding emissions targets.
- 03He warned failure to act would mean missing innovation opportunities, paying more for energy and damaging children's health.
- 04Topping acknowledged politics in Northern Ireland was 'complex' and that policy flip-flopping undermined investment decisions.
- 05He urged small nations to be 'agile and innovative' in tackling challenges like renewable energy, waste management and emissions.
02Why it matters
This matters because Northern Ireland is behind on climate legislation and action; the cost of inaction includes higher energy bills and worse air quality for residents.
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