STORMONT’S NEW Minister for the Environment Sammy Wilson needs to enact a plan to counter greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, Sinn Féin has urged.
Bairbre de Brún, a member of the European Parliament, said: “We need to be talking of resolute action now. Dublin has come forward with an action plan to cut emissions and we hope that the Assembly and local councils here will be following suit.”
In a direct challenge to Mr Wilson’s publicly expressed doubts that CO2 emissions are a prime causal factor in global warming, Ms de Brún warned that physical damage would result from more severe weather patterns, and the economy would be affected.
Speaking in advance of a meeting today with former mayor of London Ken Livingstone in Brussels to discuss traffic limiting and other policies, the Sinn Féin MEP warned: “We have seen some more extreme weather here in terms of flooding, and our own climate and our economy will suffer if we don’t take action.”
Mr Wilson, critical of what he called “bearded, sandal-wearing, Guardian-reading, muesli-eating environmentalists” said: “I’ve got a duty to make sure there is a good balance between the need to develop our economy, to provide homes, factories, roads and at the same time to protect the environment.
“I want to preserve the quality and standard of the environment. At the same time we must ensure that we do not allow the agenda to be dominated by people who sometimes can be described as Green fanatics,” he said.
Ms de Brún said it was “apparent to all that the growth of CO2 emissions is increasing at an unprecedented rate”.
Mr Wilson was appointed as Environment Minister by DUP leader Peter Robinson. The SDLP has called him a “flat-earther” over his remarks.