UUP slams 'glaring hypocrisy' on NI climate goals - as Alliance minister says 'international' Dublin-Londonderry flight won't count
Sinn Fein and the SDLP have displayed “glaring hypocrisy” over their support for a resumption of the Londonderry to Dublin air route – despite their continued public commitment to Stormont’s net zero targets, an Ulster Unionist MLA has said.
Diana Armstrong’s comments come as the Alliance Environment Minister Andrew Muir confirmed that international aviation emissions aren’t recorded in greenhouse gas emissions targets.
That is despite the fact that the assembly legislated to give itself the power to include them in its goals.
Mr Muir has also said that at present, “there is insufficient information available regarding the detail of the proposed resumption of flights” between the cities to “determine the potential impact” of the plans.
The UUP politician has accused parties supportive of the current climate legislation of being “silent when it comes to short-haul flights that serve political optics rather than environmental responsibility”.
The SDLP has rejected the criticism, saying its support for the air route is “not inconsistent” with its ambition on climate – and transport needs can be met in ways that “reflect our environmental responsibilities”.
The Irish government said last month that the cross-border flights could begin next year, after it announced funding for the route as part of its 2026 budget.
The move was welcomed by Sinn Fein and the SDLP. First Minister Michelle O’Neill said she was “working with ministers in the executive to unlock the full potential of the City of Derry Airport”.
In 2022 Northern Ireland’s governing parties – including the DUP and UUP – backed legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, with an interim 48% target just over four years away. That was despite warnings that the goals were too ambitious.
Last month, the Ulster Unionist Party called for Northern Ireland’s net zero targets to be reviewed – branding them “unachievable” in light of a scathing Audit Office report and the failure of the A5 road project. The DUP had previously called for the targets to be revised.
After seeking clarity from the environment minister on how the new route would impact the targets, Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Mrs Armstrong said: “This 43-minute flight, which will undoubtedly contribute to carbon emissions, is being treated as an exception by parties who otherwise preach climate responsibility.
“The Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, has admitted that while emissions from international aviation are not currently counted in Northern Ireland’s carbon budget, they are still captured under UK and EU emissions trading schemes. In other words, the environmental impact is real, even if politically convenient to ignore.
“It is deeply concerning that those who champion climate legislation are now silent when it comes to short-haul flights that serve political optics rather than environmental responsibility. If climate targets are to mean anything, they must apply consistently, not selectively, a clear flaw from Climate Change Act 2022.
“The only reassuring takeaway from this response from the Alliance minister is that at least Alliance now publicly acknowledge Dublin as a foreign capital. That is progress of sorts. But it raises a fundamental question, does the first minister share this view of her executive colleague?”
When MLAs passed the Climate Change Act in 2022, they gave the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) the powers to count greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation or international shipping towards its own climate goals – but that power has not been exercised.
Mrs Armstrong asked Mr Muir for his assessment of the climate impact of the recently announced Londonderry to Dublin flight in relation to the climate change law.
In his response he said: “Under the UK Climate Change Act 2008, international aviation emissions from departures originating in the UK are not currently included in carbon budget reporting.
“As emissions from international aviation do not currently impact upon Northern Ireland’s carbon budget this is unlikely to impact on provisions made under the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. Emissions from international aviation will however be captured within the scope of the UK and EU Emissions Trading Schemes.”
An SDLP spokesperson said the debate around climate change is often “wrongly framed around what must stop, rather than how we can do things differently”. They said sustainable aviation fuels can reduce emissions by up to 80% and could reduce emissions.
“Here in Northern Ireland, a £9 million facility in Derry is already leading the way by turning landfill gas into low-carbon aviation fuel. With the right policy support, we could scale up projects like this … Rather than constantly questioning targets the UUP could be supporting the innovation needed to meet them”, they said.