Industry leaders form ‘alliance’ to call for amendments to Climate Change Bill

If passed unchanged, the bill will have “devastating consequences”, including job losses, it has been revealed.

Recent work carried out by management consultancy KPMG found there would be between 40,000 and 45,000 job losses across the entire agriculture and agri-food sector and their supply chains (of those 113,000 currently employed in the sector).

The agri-food chiefs say they are in support of climate change legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

However, if passed unamended, the legislation would not follow the expert advice from scientists that make up the International Panel of Climate Change and the UK’s Climate Change Committee (UKCCC).

They warn that this would, therefore, “damage local food production to the extent that it would require a reliance on food imports, exacerbating global emissions, (known as carbon leakage) and increasing prices for the consumer”.

The employers and businesses behind this warning are represented by the umbrella bodies, the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland; the Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association (NIFDA); Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association (NIGTA), Northern Ireland Meat Exporters Association (NIMEA), the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), and the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU).

Speaking on behalf of the alliance, Conall Donnelly, Chief Executive of NIMEA, said: “To be very clear, our collective members are in support of climate change legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“We want to play our part.

“We are already investing in and implementing carbon-reducing technologies right across our supply chain and will continue to do so.

“Because of our natural grass advantage, we have a world-class reputation for sustainable food production.

“Our high quality beef, lamb and dairy produce is reared with care on small family farms and is the envy of many countries around the world.

“We believe Northern Ireland has the potential to be a shining light in sustainable food production. We want to work with policy makers to get this right for the environment and the local economy.

“That means having realistic and science-based climate change targets relevant to Northern Ireland so that we can continue to be part of the solution to climate change.”

David Brown, deputy president of the UFU, added: “If passed without further amendments to mitigate against unjust impacts on the agri-food sector, this legislation would not follow the expert advice from scientists that make up the International Panel of Climate Change and the UK’s Climate Change Committee.

“It could unnecessarily obliterate tens of thousands of jobs, as well as threaten consumer access to affordable and high quality food.

“Perversely, food may need to be imported from elsewhere, which would simply increase global emissions.”

He continued: “This bill also has the potential to damage rural towns and communities who depend on our sector for their livelihoods.

“But it will affect us all as consumers when we are no longer able to access local, fresh food that is produced to high environmental and animal welfare standards.

“We are asking politicians to work with us.

“We want to tackle climate change in a way that helps protect the environment and maintains the unique economic and social role that agriculture and food production has on this island,” Mr Brown ended.

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