Just Transition Commission will burden taxpayers and deliver little in return: MP

Earlier this week the Assembly’s approval of legislation to establish a Just Transition Commission was hailed by DAERA Minister Andrew Muir as a significant milestone for climate action in Northern Ireland.

Welcoming the passage of regulations establishing the Commission, the Minister said the body would have a key role in ensuring greenhouse gas emission reduction is achieved in an inclusive, fair and sustainable way.

In response Carla Lockhart said: “At a time when households are being squeezed by rising costs, businesses are fighting to stay afloat, and public services are crying out for significant investment, the idea of creating yet another quango body is indefensible.

“This is not leadership - it is bureaucracy for the sake of it. Forging ahead, while the finer details remain unclear, will add cost, complexity and confusion, with no credible evidence that it will deliver a single tangible benefit for the people who are expected to fund it.

“What we have is yet another policy being pushed through under the ‘Net Zero’ banner. Ticking the boxes to hit abstract, unrealistic targets. The reality is, these goals aren’t balanced, practical or achievable.”

Ms Lockhart added: “Climate change is a global challenge, but the pledges and promises to phase out fossil fuels haven’t been fulfilled. Demand for coal, oil and gas is hitting new highs, with India recently reaching a milestone of one billion tonnes of coal in just twelve months. By 2030 almost two-thirds of global emissions will be attributed to China, India and South East Asia. Airline travel is also set to increase over the next two decades.

“It’s time the UK Government and the Stormont Assembly faced a reality check. The wheels have been wobbling on the Net Zero wagon for some time. The momentum is waning, as these high price-tag policies are deemed ineffective and unaffordable. We simply can’t afford another political vanity project.

“The world is in the midst of a global crisis, and Great Britain and Northern Ireland won’t make a meaningful difference to save the planet on their own. There is no international co-operation or a collective commitment focused on decarbonisation,” she explained.

The MP continued: “Northern Ireland’s contribution will deliver negligible climate benefit and the millions of pounds spent trying will be wasteful. This expenditure should be channelled into upgrading our infrastructure, and improving our health service and education system. Tax payers want meaningful and tangible value for money, measures that will make a real difference to their everyday lives.

“Stormont will be judged on its delivery of practical, achievable policy. The current approach - anchored to net zero targets that are neither realistic nor properly justified—does the opposite. It risks overpromising, underdelivering, and ultimately eroding public confidence.

“The proposed Just Transition Commission itself is a textbook example of how not to design effective governance. A body of at least 15 members, with the potential for even more appointments, is a recipe for drift and dysfunction,” she said.

“Without clear purpose or guaranteed balance, it will struggle to produce anything coherent. Worse still, the body risks duplicating work already being done elsewhere, adding to the very inefficiency it claims to address. We already have many examples of overreaching arms-length bodies.”

Carla Lockhart MP continued: “Perhaps most damning of all, there is no guarantee that the commission’s recommendations will ever be implemented. That begs the obvious question: why create another ‘talking shop’ whose advice can simply be ignored? Northern Ireland does not need more reports gathering dust - it needs decisive action that protects jobs, strengthens key industries, boosts the economy and provides real certainty for families.

“The sequencing of this proposal is equally flawed,” she added. “Establishing a commission before putting in place the necessary supports - particularly for critical sectors like agriculture - shows a complete disconnect from reality. It is policy built backwards, driven by a growing influence of green ideology, rather than delivery for constituents.”

Concluding, the MP said: “People want to be part of the solution. They want policies that work, voices that are heard, and outcomes they can see in their communities. That demands honesty, realism and a focus on delivery - not grandstanding and bureaucracy.

“In my opinion, the argument for the establishment of a Just Transition Commission for Northern Ireland fails on every count. It lacks clarity, credibility and common sense. It will burden taxpayers, duplicate existing structures and deliver little, if anything, in return.”