Business in the Community (BITC) and its members have welcomed a motion calling on Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots to urgently introduce the Climate Change Act outlined in the all-party New Decade, New Approach document published in January 2020, following the restoration of the devolved government in Northern Ireland.

It was proposed that the Act would be introduced with legally binding and ambitious sectoral emission-reduction targets within the next three months.

The Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs stated that the Act would serve as a stimulus for a green economic recovery following COVID-19, and would ensure that recovery is underpinned by rapid decarbonisation and a just transition to protect jobs, through upskilling people in carbon intensive sectors.

Kieran Harding, managing director, Business in the Community said:

“Business in the Community and its members recognise the NI Executive’s commitment to the environment and to the Green Growth Strategy outlined in New Decade, New Approach.

“As we recover from the effect of COVID-19 and aim to build back responsibly, it will be incumbent on all of us to invent a new business norm with bold, collaborative and practical measures to tackle the climate crisis. Now is the time for action and we would encourage the Minister to urgently introduce legislation in support of this.”

Business in the Community recently launched the Business Action on Climate campaign which aims to raise awareness of the important role business has to play in countering the climate crisis, and to challenge and support businesses to set and achieve ambitious targets for a reduction in their greenhouse gases emissions through a Climate Action Pledge.

Mr Harding continued:

“Through the Business Action on Climate campaign and the Climate Action Pledge, organisations have opportunity to come together and prove to their communities, stakeholders, customers and employees that they are taking ambitious action on the climate crisis. There is no time to waste.”

Visit www.bitcni.org.uk/climate for more information on the campaign and Pledge.