Current government policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in NI are not based on cutting livestock numbers, a committee of MLAs has been told.

“The department has a clear vision for the sector and within that at the moment it is not around livestock reductions,” said Anthony Courtney from DAERA.

“It is around efficiencies to try and have the same output but by doing things more efficiently and investing in low carbon practices,” he added.

Briefing Stormont’s agriculture committee, Courtney said DAERA received advice from the UK government’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) which recommended livestock cuts in NI.

Alternative pathways

“We are focusing on an alternative pathway to try and deliver the same outcomes. We don’t have to follow the CCC advice,” he said.

However, Tom Buchanan from the DUP raised concerns that the question of cutting NI livestock numbers could eventually come on the agenda again.

“If that [alternative] pathway does not work, then you are back to the issue of reducing livestock within the farming community,” he said.

In response, Courtney said as a DAERA official he was not able to give any commitment about future government policy.

“All I can do is reflect what the current policy of the minister and the department is. You know I cannot look to the future and say what a future minister is going to do,” he said.

Carbon budget

Last week’s briefing was based around carbon budgets for NI which have to be set under current climate change legislation.

The latest proposal is that the fourth carbon budget, which covers the period from 2038 to 2042, should see a 77% reduction in emissions compared to the 1990 baseline.

Ahead of a debate in the Assembly, Stormont’s agriculture committee was evenly split when it came to an indicative vote in support of the fourth carbon budget.

Three Sinn Féin MLAs and John Blair of the Alliance Party were in support, whilst three members from the DUP and the Ulster Unionist Diana Armstrong voted against.

“There is no detail on what policies will be needed. We also do not know what the financial implications will be and we don’t know how it is going to be funded,” said Michelle McIlveen from the DUP.

The only other committee member, Daniel McCrossan from the SDLP, was not present for the vote.