To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to outline (i) any inter-departmental, local government and national level discussions his Department has had on establishing structures to co-ordinate climate change actions; and (ii) the work that has commenced.

My Department coordinates climate change actions through a range of established and new structures. Cross departmental discussions and action on climate change is coordinated through the ‘Future Generations Group’. Further cross departmental action on climate change is driven through the Mitigation, Adaptation and Analysts sub-groups of the Future Generations Group.

My Department commissioned the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) to publish a report on ‘Reducing emissions in NI’. The report sets out the CCCs recommendations on possible policy and actions that NI can take to reduce NI emissions. These recommendations are currently being considered by all NI Government Departments.

My Department works with BEIS, DEFRA, Cabinet Office, HMT and the other Devolved Administrations in order to agree and provide NI input and responses to UK Government climate change proposals, reports, negotiations, and initiatives.

In particular, my Department is currently liaising with:

Cabinet Office on the forthcoming 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) which is to be held in Scotland in November 2020;

HMT on their funding review of the UK target to reduce Green House Gas Emissions to net zero by 2050;

BEIS on the future of carbon emission trading upon leaving the EU; and

DEFRA on the development of a third Climate Change Risk Assessment.

My Department established, resources, and sits on the Steering Group of Climate Northern Ireland. Climate NI’s role is to increasing understanding of climate change impacts and risks within Northern Ireland and promoting the adaptation actions necessary to address these.

My Department published NI’s second cross departmental Climate Change Adaptation Programme in Sept 2019. It contains a chapter on the adaptation work being taken forward by local government and across society. My Department will complete a mid and end programme review of the Adaptation Programme.