A DAERA climate change bill brought forward by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots was introduced to the Stormont Assembly on Monday. However, with Stormont due to go into recess until 5 September it will be the autumn before it can move to the next stage.

That second stage involves a debate in the Assembly chamber and vote on the general principles of the bill, after which it should then move over to be examined by the Agriculture committee.

The DAERA bill (named the Climate Change (No. 2) Bill) includes a target for NI to cut 2050 carbon emissions by 82% when compared to 1990 levels.

It is a less stringent target than the net zero emissions by 2045 in the private member’s bill currently being considered by the Agriculture committee.

That private member’s bill has been brought forward by NI Green party leader Clare Bailey.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Minister Poots said that he had met Clare Bailey and her Green party colleague Rachel Woods to discuss his bill.

“Both Clare and I are striving for the same ultimate outcome. I believe my bill gives us the best chance of making the necessary changes to tackle climate change head on. We must balance the need to produce food and feed our people, with the need to protect our planet – one cannot exist without the other,” he said.

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