Climate Bill: Amendment passes to reduce methane by 46% by 2050

An amendment failed to exclude agricultural emissions from a net zero target

The Stormont Assembly has passed an amendment limiting the reduction of methane to 46% by 2050.

Assembly members (MLAs) have been debating the Climate Change No.2 bill.

An amendment proposed by the agriculture & environment minister removing agricultural emissions from being part of the net zero target fell.

A total of 70 amendments have been brought for the further consideration stage of Edwin Poots' bill.

He told the assembly a reduction of 46% in methane was in line with recommendations from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the UK's Climate Change Committee (CCC).

Northern Ireland is the only part of these islands to not yet have climate change legislation in place.

Another bill from Green Party leader Clare Bailey is also on track to become legislation, but is behind Edwin Poots' bill in terms of the process.

Amendment list

The amendments to Climate Change No.2 have been split into two groups.

Nineteen of them are on methane and interim emissions targets, carbon units and carbon budgets.

Edwin Poots said the war in Ukraine would have an effect on fuel prices and supply chains

The remainder are on sectoral and climate action plans, and proposals for a climate commissioner.

Opening the debate on the first group of 19 amendments, Mr Poots referred to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, citing the effect that had had on fossil fuel prices and supply chains.

"Therefore decisions we make in this country must be in the best interests of the people that we represent," he said.

"And one of them should be that we sustain our ability to produce food for the people that live in these islands."

Voting has finished on the first group of amendments.

The assembly is continuing to debate the remaining 51 amendments, with voting expected to continue into Tuesday.