SDLP Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin
The role will be the first of its kind anywhere in the UK – and Ms McLaughlin said the move must signal a new era of urgency and accountability in tackling the climate crisis.
The new office will operate independently and will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of climate action plans, advising departments on strategy and commissioning research to drive forward evidence-based, cross-departmental policy.
Speaking after the Assembly debate, Ms McLaughlin said: “The establishment of a Climate Commissioner is long overdue. The Climate Change Act, passed in 2022, placed a legal duty on the First and deputy First Ministers to create this office. While it is deeply frustrating that this step has taken so long, we should be proud that Northern Ireland is now the first region in these islands to create such an independent role.
“Given the cross-departmental nature of climate action, the need for independent oversight is both clear and urgent. We cannot afford siloed working.
“We need joined-up leadership to ensure that every department plays its part in helping us adapt to a changing climate, while protecting workers, communities and those most at risk from the transition.
“Let me be clear: establishing a Climate Commissioner is not just a legal obligation – it is a moral one. We have a duty to be responsible stewards of the planet and to pass it on to the next generation in better shape than we inherited it.
“The job is not finished. We must go further and we must go faster. If we continue on our current trajectory, Northern Ireland will not reach net zero until 2118.
“That is utterly unacceptable. The powers now exist to drive meaningful action – but it is the political will, and the engagement of wider society, that will ultimately decide whether we meet the moment.”
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