Despite Edwin Poots’ day-long objections, MLAs last night voted to make his Climate Bill targets net zero.
Green Party NI leader Clare Bailey welcomed the move, which was supported by 50 MLAs and opposed by 38.
She said: “The majority of MLAs have made it clear that Northern Ireland will no longer be the only region in these islands without a net-zero emissions target.
“The passage of this Green Party NI amendment has significantly increased the ambition of the Climate Change (No.2) Bill and is an important step towards ensuring we have strong and robust climate legislation.
“Following this clear expression of the will of the Assembly, I hope that we will now see this net-zero climate legislation come into force in the coming months.”
Earlier, Mr Poots defended claims from his Assembly colleagues that it took a cross-party coalition Climate Bill to spur him into action on his own legislation.
In an “absurd” and“unusual” situation two Climate Change Bills are making their way through the Assembly.
Mr Poots’ less ambitious Bill had aimed for greenhouse gas reductions of 82% and even though it was being discussed by MLAs first, it was preceded by a second, more ambitious Bill led by Ms Bailey.
MLAs yesterday debated the first group of 80 amendments to the Environment Minister’s legislation, many of which aimed to strengthen it.
An amendment to change its 2050 targets to 2045 suffered a set back as South Belfast MLA Ms Bailey was not in her seat to propose it. That’s because debate on the Bill started more than two hours before it was scheduled in order papers.
Ms Bailey apologised to the House for not being in her seat to move amendment one.
Northern Ireland is the only part of Western Europe, including the UK and Ireland, that does not have its own climate legislation but UK-wide targets do apply to the region.
Mr Poots’ Bill, backed by the agri-food industry and the Climate Change Committee, included an emissions reduction target of 82% by 2050.
Climate Change Committee chief executive Chris Stark said in September the reason they have approved lesser targets for Northern Ireland is because of our “very big agriculture sector”.
Northern Ireland farmers produce enough food for 10 million people.
But Mr Poots’ Bill has been criticised by environmentalists as not going far enough. Ms Bailey’s Bill, which is supported by climate groups, farmers and a cross party coalition of MLAs, goes further. It proposes a 2045 target for reaching net-zero carbon emissions in Northern Ireland – the same as in Scotland, Germany and Sweden.
MLAs yesterday started debating some 80 amendments proposed to Mr Poots’ Bill in discussions that will continue this morning.
UUP MLA Steve Aiken said his party has been encouraging those behind both Bills to come closer together.
He added: “To many people outside, there is a degree of absurdity that the Northern Ireland Assembly is indeed debating two climate change Bills when in fact what we should be doing is debating one climate emergency Bill because that is the situation we’re in.”
But he told MLAs his party would back Mr Poots’ 82% reduction by 2050 after “listening to the farming community”.
Alliance MLA John Blair said his party would back amendments for a target of net zero by 2050. Sinn Fein and the SDLP were also expected to support amendments for tougher targets in Mr Poots’ Bill.
Mr Poots described his Bill as “the right Bill for this House”, adding it would “ensure that we can tackle the important issues around climate on the one hand, and ensure on the other hand that we can deal with all of the issues that involve our economy, our agri-food sector”.
On potential changes to the targets, Mr Poots said: “Should the science suggests that we go higher then that’s what we’ll do.”
He also said he reserves the right to make changes to any amendments passed on Tuesday night in the further consideration stage in the coming weeks.
Protests gathered ahead of the debate.
Feelings were running high at Stormont yesterday as farmers and climate activists set out their hopes for Northern Ireland’s first climate legislation.
Edwin Poots’ legislation came after across-party coalition Bill on the issue but was being debated first by MLAs.
Ulster Farmers’ Union president Victor Chestnutt said: “Don’t mess with our future... the future of the rural farming community, the future of our family farms, the future of the Northern Ireland agrifood industry.
"We want legislation that will support us, not eliminate us.“
We are pleading with MLAs to vote for the Executive target of 82% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 – anything more is a vote to put us off the land.
“We feed 10 million people, a fact we should be proud of.”
Climate activists and more farmers, supported by a cross-party coalition of MLAs, followed the UFU rally with their own demonstration. They urged MLAs deciding on amendments to Mr Poots’ Bill to deliver the strongest emissions reductions possible.
Queen’s University Professor John Barry launched the rally hitting out at the “unnecessary” tactic of pitting farmers against strong climate change legislation. He said: “Farming accounts for approximately 30% of greenhouse gas in Northern Ireland so where has the other 70% of this debate gone?
"We have energy, housing, transport and waste management.
“In many respects the talk about setting targets for farmers is putting the cart before the horse.
“What we are facing is an existential crisis."
Last August, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change declared it a code red for humanity.
“How is having weak climate change legislation, that is several years short and several billion pounds of carbon short, sufficient?”
He added MLAs must first agree headline targets “and then begin the debate about sectoral targets”.
William Taylor, from Farmers For Action, said his group takes its lead on climate from Sir David Attenborough because “at his age [he] is not up to be lobbied by corporates or anyone else”.
He added “we’ve got 10 years” and said small farmers “won’t let you down just give us the tools to do our job”.
Helen Keys, from Farmers For Nature, said her group is helping to build biodiversity and that it is paying off. She said small farmers “don’t feel heard” adding: “Let’s just get on with it –what are we waiting for?”
