DUP MP demands the repeal of climate change law that was introduced by DUP farming minister
A DUP MP has called for the repeal of the Climate Change Act, which was introduced by a DUP colleague.
Sammy Wilson said that the targets within the 2022 legislation for slashing the Province’s output of greenhouse gases are “mad” and “pointless”.
If the law remains intact, he said, it will stand to hamper not just the building of the A5 as happened this week, but also many other large building projects.
The DUP has said that whilst Edwin Poots introduced the climate bill when he was farming minister, and welcomed the passing of the “ground-breaking” legislation as a “historic moment for Northern Ireland”, the targets which it contains are more stringent than the ones he had wanted.
Mr Poots had sought an 82% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, the party said, whereas the final act imposed a 100% reduction.
The comments from Mr Wilson, who was Northern Ireland’s minister for the environment in 2008 and 2009, came alongside remarks yesterday from DUP MP Carla Lockhart, who said the targets in the Climate Change Act show “how deeply climate extremism is now influencing both our legal and political systems”.
The climate law hit the headlines this week when the High Court in Belfast ruled the government had been wrong to approve the new A5 dual carriageway between south Tyrone and Londonderry city because of the 2022 act.
The court said the Department for Infrastructure had not made a convincing case for how the A5 scheme sits with the act’s carbon-cutting targets.
Mr Wilson has issued a statement calling for "the legislation to be repealed" in the wake of Monday's judgement.
Mr Wilson said: "The court ruling on the A5 will be a devastating blow for those who have quite rightly campaigned for the upgrading of this dangerous road.
"I have often warned that the mad climate change legislation, which sets targets for C02 reductions, would make every major infrastructure project easy prey to the green lobby that gleefully stand in the way of economic progress.
"On a regular basis right across the UK, the argument is being used that major infrastructure projects are not compatible with climate change targets.
"Whether it be airport expansion, gas storage facilities or roads, climate change targets are being used to prevent investment and development.
"The irony is that the UK Government did not even require NI to have its own targets, given that our C02 emissions were so insignificant, yet the NI Assembly choose to place investment handcuffs on our economy by introducing its own legislation.
"Unless this legislation is repealed and pointless C02 reduction targets are removed, we can expect to see house building, road building and many other major investment projects halted in the courts and ordinary people will pay in terms of jobs lost, travelling safety and reduced incomes.
"What kind of madness promotes legislation which is designed to affect the world’s temperature by marginal amounts in 100 years’ time over the building of a road which can save lives now."
Back in summer 2021, the BBC reported that Mr Wilson had written a letter to Mr Poots (which it obtained under Freedom of Information) stating he was "astounded and appalled" at Mr Poots over his handling of sea border checks.
Mr Wilson called on Mr Poots to "give some hope to those who are looking for political leadership to destroy this protocol rather than meekly bow to the unreasonable demands which it makes".
When it comes to the Climate Change Act, the DUP told the News Letter this week: "As the Climate Bill was progressing through the legislative process, the DUP, through our then DAERA minister Edwin Poots, had sought an 82% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, which reflected our concern that a more stringent target would have significant consequences on major infrastructure projects.
"However, this was then overruled by an amendment brought by the Green Party, with the support of Sinn Fein, the SDLP, and Alliance, that set the target of net zero in section 1 cited by the judge in his ruling.
"The DUP has warned of these consequences repeatedly…
"Sinn Fein and the SDLP have engaged in a poster contest along the route of the A5, attempting to outdo each other with demands for it to be built, despite being the two largest contributors to the votes in support of the net zero targets that have thrown it into question.
"The focus should be on the parties who voted for the targets despite warnings about the impact, and whether they are now prepared to take meaningful action to reverse their mistake."