To ask the Minister for Communities how his Department is working with Libraries NI to (i) reduce the carbon footprint of its buildings; and (ii) transition to renewable energy sources where possible.

Libraries NI is a member of my Department’s Climate Change working group, which is made up of members from across the Department and a number of our Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs). This Group was formed in recognition of the wide range of skills and business areas that need to come together to share resources, knowledge, and skills on environmental issues.

The 2024-25 Climate change action plan is available on the Department’s website at https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-12/dfc-climate-change-action-plan24-25.pdf The Action Plan outlines the Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Behavioural Change activities that the Department and its ALBs, including Libraries NI, plan for 2024-25.

This year I was able to provide Libraries NI with a capital budget allocation of £4,511k that has allowed the completion of a range of energy efficiency, carbon reduction and environmental improvement projects. These include the installation of low energy LED lighting, photovoltaic solar panels, and biodiversity habitat improvements across the Libraries NI estate and the recently opened Fivemiletown Library, which in its construction has incorporated measures to minimise energy use, eliminate pollution, preserve, and enhance biodiversity and conserve water resources. Libraries NI also received funding from the Department for the Economy’s Energy Invest to Save Programme and my officials facilitated Libraries NI to deliver three innovative pathfinder projects at Ballymoney, Bessbrook and Killyleagh libraries. These projects have delivered the first accredited EnerPhit (Passivhaus Institute) standard public buildings in Northern Ireland, revitalising and upgrading existing building stock to provide exemplar low energy facilities.