Image source, Reuters

At this point the House divides to vote on amendments listed in Group One., external

We're going to leave the MLAs to their late-night deliberations.

If you want to continue to watch the debate you can do so on Assembly TV, external.

A big thanks for your company today, especially to those who have been with us since 10:30.

We'll be picking up on this important debate on the Climate Change (No. 2) Bill at 10:30 tomorrow.

Do join us then. In the meantime have a great evening.

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Clare Bailey is called to wind on the Group One amendment debate.

If you’re just joining us, you can read the grouped list here, and find more detail on each amendment here.

The Green Party leader says “we emit more emissions per capita than anywhere else in the UK, we emit more emissions per capita than China”.

“The science, as has been mentioned, could not be clearer - we are in code red for humanity,” says the South Belfast MLA.

“We must reach net zero by 2050 at the latest - that’s what the science is telling us.”

Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots replies to the debate on the first group of amendments proposed to his Climate Change (No.2) Bill.

He rejects claims that his bill came in response to Green Party MLA Clare Bailey's private member's bill - Climate Change (No.1) Bill.

The minister says work was already underway on this executive bill.

Mr Poots says government has to go through due process "so we can't just magic up a bill and say this is good for you. We have to actually engage with the community. We have to do consultation processes".

"This setting up of the environment versus farming is not right," he says, adding that the farming community are "custodians of the land and they consider the environment to be of the utmost importance for them."

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Sinn Féin's Declan McAleer intervenes to say that "climate and the DUP are the biggest threats to hill farmers".

"I think you'll find that the biggest threat to the hill farmers is Sinn Féin's support for the climate change legislation," Mr Poots replies.

He explains the amendments he's proposing and comments on those brought by other members.

"If we shutdown our efficient agri-food sector and we shift food production somewhere else in the world with more carbon-intensive farming we will be adding to global emissions, doing the exact opposite of what people are setting out to do," the minister says, banging his lectern.

Mark Simpson
BBC News NI

Image source, EPA

Belfast City Council has voted not to fly the union flag on Prince Andrew's birthday this month.

Instead, councillors decided that the union flag should be flown on 1 July to mark the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.

The move was agreed without a vote.

The decision comes as the prince faces a civil case in America over sexual assault allegations, which he has consistently denied.

The Duke of York's birthday is 19 February and Tuesday was the final full council meeting before then.

Read more on this story here.

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The TUV's Jim Allister says the fact that the Green Party could not move Amendment 1 "was very welcome".

The Amendment he is referring to, which was not moved, sought to reduce the emissions target to 2045.

The debate started earlier than expected and Green Party leader, Clare Bailey was not in the chamber to move the amendment when it was called.

Mr Allister says he is here "to oppose in word and deed the anti-farming amendments of the Green Party, the Alliance Party and Sinn Féin".

He says farming "is not the enemy of the environment".

The Climate Change (No.2) Bill - presented by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots - sets a target of reducing emissions by 82% by 2050.

Here's a brief overview of what some stakeholders have said about the draft legislation.

Image source, PA Media

Agri-food business groups have urged assembly members to back the 82% reduction and reject the proposed amendments to the bill.

The business groups, which include the Ulster Farmers' Union and NI Food & Drink, say a net-zero target would lead to the livestock sector becoming a "cottage industry" and mean "large job losses in food processing".

Roger Pollen, head of the Federation of Small Businesses in Northern Ireland, also called on Stormont to "avoid destroying businesses in pursuit of net zero".

"We recognise the need to act with determination and ambition but this must be balanced against the risk of negative impacts to the smallest businesses that have not yet been considered through a statutory impact test," he said.

"We want to eradicate emissions not small businesses."

However, a coalition of environmental groups are calling on assembly members to approve the amendments which set the tougher net-zero target.

Friends of the Earth have said the amendments would make the legislation "stronger, fairer and more independent - including a just transition, a zero-carbon target, independent oversight and clear policies across government departments".

MLAs are back from their brief comfort break and resuming their debate on the Climate Change (No.2) Bill.

The next MLA to be called is Jim Allister of the TUV.

If you're just joining us, MLAs are debating Group One amendments.

You'll find the list of amendments contained in Group One here, external, while you can read the amendment list in full, here. , external

It's been a long afternoon for MLAs in the chamber, so the Principal Deputy Speaker Christopher Stalford calls a brief adjournment.

Don't worry, however, there'll be more live action from 18:30 when MLAs resume their discussion on the Climate Change (No.2) Bill, starting with Jim Allister of the TUV.

We're off to grab a quick coffee.

Stewart Dickson from Alliance speaks for his party's Amendment to the Climate Change (No.2) Bill, Amendment 20.

He says it's intended "to ensure that the department should ensure at least an 80% electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2030".

He says it's "not an impossible call, in fact, it's a very realistic call to make".

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"We are far behind other regions of the UK and we have a long distance yet to travel to deliver our fair share of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions," says Ulster Unionist Roy Beggs.

The East Antrim MLA adds that "the UK has actually led the world on this issue".

Image source, Getty Images

If you’re just joining us, welcome to live coverage of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s debate on the Climate Change (No.2) Bill.

It’s been brought to the chamber by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots.

MLAs have been battling it out over the first group, external of amendments proposed to the Bill, external for the last three hours.

The bill as drafted sets to reduce emissions by 82% by 2050.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without its own climate legislation, but it is contributing to wider UK reduction targets.

If the Climate Change (No.2) draft Bill is to become law, it would need to be passed before the assembly is dissolved ahead of May's election.

That means the legislation faces an effective deadline of the end of March.

If it is not passed by then, the legislative process will have to restart from the beginning when the new assembly sits.

Meanwhile, the Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey has written to MLAs describing the situation with rival climate bills as creating some "unique issues".

Mr Maskey said the situation was not impossible to deal with but that MLAs had a responsibility to ensure "coherent and consistent" decisions were made which lead to "clear and effective legislation".

Image source, Pacemaker

More than 52,000 people have signed a petition against the Northern Ireland Protocol, the grand secretary of the Orange Order has said.

The Reverend Mervyn Gibson accepted that some could be double signatures or not genuine as the petition was also online.

"The vast majority walked into an Orange Hall and signed their name," he said.

Mr Gibson was speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme on Tuesday.

Read more on this story here.

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Thomas Buchanan of the DUP asks if some parties in the House have an issue with the 2050 emission reduction target as set out in the Climate Change (No.2) Bill, “simply because it’s a UK target”.

“Everyone sitting in this House today has a choice to make, do you want to destroy what we have or do you want to support what we have and strengthen it?”

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Patsy McGlone of the SDLP says farmers “want to do what they can to reduce our greenhouse gases”.

“It will require more than just new technological solutions that people would appear to be relying on” to address the climate change crisis, adds the MLA.

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"We should not in any way underestimate the crisis that our planet faces," says Caoimhe Archibald.

The Sinn Féin MLA emphasises the need for a just transition.

"That means ensuring that those who are most likely to be impacted and those who can least afford to move away from fossil fuels and carbon-intensive industries are supported to do so and are not left shouldering the burden," she says.

Clodagh Rice
BBC News NI business correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Northern Ireland's planning system is failing to deliver for the economy, communities and the environment, according to an Audit Office report.

It looked at how the system has operated since 2015, when most planning functions were transferred from central government to local councils.

The report, published on Tuesday, found important planning applications are still taking too long to process.

Its authors said it posed a "cultural and practical challenge".

You can read more here.

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John Blair says “the world's richest 10% of nations produce around 50% of all emissions”.

“The poorest half of the world’s population, around 3.5bn people, is responsible for just 10% of carbon emissions yet they are the most threatened by catastrophic storms and droughts linked to climate change,” says the Alliance MLA.

Turning to the Climate Change (No.2) Bill, the Agriculture Committee member calls for members to “embrace the opportunity for net-zero in 2050 with that ambition and positivity”.

He explains that he and his Alliance colleagues will support amendments “which help us to do that”.

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Ulster Unionist Steve Aiken says his party has been encouraging the sponsors of Climate Change Bills Nos. 1 and 2 to come closer together.

The Green Party's Clare Bailey is bringing forward her own private member's bill - Climate Change (No.1) Bill.

Dr Aiken says many people see "a degree of absurdity" in the situation and believes the assembly should be debating one climate emergency bill.

He says his party will be supporting the minister's proposals to get to 82% carbon neutral by 2050.

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“I believe we across this House today can contribute to clear and effective climate legislation,” says Cara Hunter.

The SDLP MLA adds that “protecting our environment should be a priority for government here”.

“We can make a huge and positive step” through legislation on climate change she explains.

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"This has been quite a journey in terms of legislative process," says William Irwin.

The veteran DUP MLA says the committee scrutiny of the Climate Change (No.2) Bill is "one of the most involved processes I remember in my entire time as a member of the Agriculture Committee".

He says he regards the amendments put by some of the members as "a childish game of ping pong" which would ride "roughshod over the department".

He says a move towards net zero for 2045 would cost billions of pounds.