Over the past 30 years mounting scientific evidence has found that human activities are have significant impacts on global climatic balancing mechanisms, primarily due to greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). This has resulted in increased instances of extreme weather events, rising sea levels, seasonal variations, floods and droughts. This unpredictable climate has caused people to lose their homes, harvests have failed and drinking water has become scarce, while the general health and wellbeing of populations has also been widely affected. As human activities continue to influence climate, such events are predicted to continue unless strong action is taken to address the high levels of GHGs, primarily CO₂ and CH₄, emitted into the atmosphere.

More background information: Climate change

NIEL Recommendations

• Northern Ireland, while having made commitments to reduce GHG emissions, has failed to introduce its own Climate Change Bill as has been done in other regional administrations of the UK. Introducing a Bill with a target of 3% annual reductions in GHG emissions would provide a strong legal impetus for a low-carbon transition across NI.
• In order to make this transition, those living in Northern Ireland should be empowered to lead a less carbon intensive and more sustainable lifestyle. This necessitates, among other things, a more localised food economy, increased use of public transport, increased recycling, a reduced reliance on imports and a reduction in consumption levels.
• The EU target of sourcing 15% of all our energy (electricity, heat and transport) from renewable sources by 2020 should be adopted in conjunction with these measures to further reduce the carbon intensity of economic activity in Northern Ireland.
• An Adaptation Strategy to detail how human infrastructure and natural ecosystems will be managed to help them adapt to a range of climate change scenarios should be developed with the support of all Departments and statutory organisations.